Healing Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Jeniffer Mathews: A simple walk in his garden is relief to John Hunter. Until recently, wounds on his feet made walking nearly impossible. John Hunter: The worse it got, and the larger it got, the more painful it would be. Jeniffer Mathews: The wounds were ulcers, complications from diabetes. Visits to his foot surgeon's office left him anxious. John Hunter: I'd see people sitting in there one week, and a month later, I'd see the same people sitting there, but they're minus a foot, minus two feet. Jeniffer Mathews: When ulcers don't heal, amputations follow. Doctor Jeffrey Johnson has a new way to reduce the recurrence of ulcers. He surgically lengthens the achilles tendon, or heel cord. Jeffrey Johnson: What we thought was that if we could lengthen this heel cord, we could reduce the pressure on the ball of the foot, which is the source of the ulcer in the first place. Jeniffer Mathews: Studies show, in patients with heel cord lengthening, ulcers were 80% less likely to recur after 7 months. Recurrence was 50% less after two years. Jeffrey Johnson: The best thing to hear is somebody that says, I've had this ulcer for two years, and you were finally able to heal it for me. Jeniffer Mathews: After the lengthening, feet are put in casts. Jeffrey Johnson: The casting not only lets patients walk, but it's a very effective method of ulcer healing. Basically, we're just putting a certain percent less pressure over the area of the ulcer, and then it heals on its own. John Hunter: I don't think I'd have a foot on my left side if it had not been for him, and it really did help. I've not had the problems. I feel like I'm one of the lucky ones. Jeniffer Mathews: This is Jeniffer Mathews reporting.