Arterial and Mixed Arterial-Venous Wounds
Arterial and mixed arterial-venous wounds are serious, complex open sores on the lower legs or feet caused by poor blood flow. While venous ulcers happen when blood cannot flow back up to the heart, arterial wounds occur when oxygen-rich blood cannot flow down to the tissues because of narrowed or blocked arteries. Mixed wounds are a combination of both issues.
Performed entirely in our comfortable office setting at the Vein & Wound Center of LA, our specialized medical care uses advanced diagnostic mapping to identify your exact blood flow blocks and create a highly targeted healing plan.
Because these wounds involve a lack of oxygen-rich blood, they look and feel very different from standard vein sores. This specialized medical treatment is highly recommended if you notice:
“Punched-Out” Open Sores: Deep, round ulcers with well-defined borders that usually form on the toes, heels, or outer ankle bone. The wound bed often looks pale, grey, or yellow.
Severe, Nocturnal Leg Pain: A sharp, burning pain in the foot or toes that worsens significantly when your legs are elevated or while resting in bed at night.
Skin and Tissue Changes: Thin, shiny, or hairless skin on the lower legs, frequently accompanied by thick, brittle toenails.
Cold Feet and Pale Skin: Feet or toes that feel unusually cold to the touch and turn pale or white when lifted, but look dark red or purple when hanging down.
These complex wounds develop when narrowed blood vessels alter your regional circulation dynamics and starve your lower leg tissues of oxygen.
The primary cause of arterial ulcers is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), where fatty plaques build up and narrow the arteries (atherosclerosis). When this blood flow is restricted, your skin cells are starved of the vital oxygen, nutrients, and white blood cells they need to stay alive and fight infections. Even a tiny scrape or friction from a tight shoe can cause the skin to break down, forming a deep ulcer that cannot repair itself.
In Mixed Arterial-Venous Wounds, a patient suffers from narrowed arteries and failing vein valves at the same time. This creates a dangerous double-impact: the leg suffers from high backpressure and fluid pooling from the veins, while simultaneously starving for oxygen-rich blood from the arteries.
To safely heal these wounds, we must carefully balance expanding your blood flow while protecting fragile, oxygen-starved skin layers:
When it comes to complex circulatory health and tissue recovery, you deserve specialized, expert care:
Our specialists possess advanced training in both vascular medicine and complex wound care, allowing them to safely diagnose and manage high-risk arterial blockages that standard clinics might miss.
We look beneath the surface using high-resolution ultrasound technology to accurately measure your circulation speeds and check the health of both your arteries and veins under one roof.
If your workup shows a severe arterial blockage that requires surgery to reopen the blood vessel, we rapidly coordinate an outside referral to elite local vascular surgeons.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatments. We adapt your advanced dressings and mobility plans specifically to your unique medical history and daily comfort.
Ointments only treat the surface. These wounds are caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow deep inside the leg.
When you raise your legs, gravity stops working in your favor. Because your arteries are narrowed, your heart has to pump harder against gravity to get blood down to your feet.
Because tissue oxygen is low, these wounds heal slowly. With our advanced, targeted treatments, mild sores can heal in several weeks, while deeper ulcers may take 2 to 3 months of continuous, dedicated protection.
The workup checks the strength of your blood flow. We must find out exactly how much blood is reaching your foot before we apply any bandages or plan any treatments, ensuring your care is completely safe.
Yes. By precisely diagnosing both issues, we can treat the surface vein pressure with light, safe compression while simultaneously working to improve your arterial blood flow, allowing the skin to permanently close.
Don’t let a persistent, painful, or non-healing sore compromise your mobility and health.
Schedule a consultation with our wound care specialists today to receive a personalized treatment plan.
