Diabetes & Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes & Diabetic Foot Care: Prevent, Monitor, Protect
People living with diabetes require specialized foot care, because high blood sugar levels can damage nerves (neuropathy), reduce circulation, and impair wound healing. At Dr. Michele Selsor’s Pinellas Park practice, we are committed to proactive diabetic foot management to prevent complications such as ulceration, infection, and even amputation.
Why Diabetic Foot Care Matters
- Diabetes impairs sensory feedback, so small injuries or pressure areas may go unnoticed.
- Reduced blood flow compromises tissue repair, making infections more dangerous.
- An estimated large portion of lower-limb amputations are preceded by diabetic foot ulcers.
- Regular foot surveillance is key to early detection and intervention.
Core Components of Diabetes Foot Care
Routine screening and risk stratification
1
- Quarterly foot exams (skin, nails, foot structure, pulses, capillary refill).
- Sensation testing with monofilament, vibration.
- Vascular assessment (ABI, Doppler).
- Pressure mapping to detect high-risk zones.
Patient education & daily self-care
2
- Daily foot inspections (look, feel, smell).
- Proper hygiene, moisturizing (avoiding cracks), prompt care of minor lesions.
- Nail trimming, callus management.
- Avoidance of barefoot walking, irrigation of wounds.
- Selection of proper footwear and offloading devices.
Preventive & supportive therapies
3
- Custom orthotics and specialized diabetic footwear.
- Pressure offloading with padding, casts, or total contact casts (TCC) for ulcers Wikipedia.
- Advanced wound dressings, biologics, skin substitutes.
- Infection surveillance: cultures, topical/systemic antimicrobials when needed.
Wound care & limb salvage
4
- Debridement of necrotic tissue.
- Moist wound healing, negative pressure wound therapy, grafting.
- Use of adjuncts (growth factors, skin allografts).
- Collaboration with vascular, infectious disease, endocrinology specialists.
Surgical support when needed
5
- Correction of deformities that predispose to ulceration.
- Revascularization through vascular surgery referrals.
- Amputation only as a last resort, in coordination with multidisciplinary teams.
Local Impact & Practice Strengths
- At her Tampa Bay / Pinellas Park base (7744 66th Street N) MapQuest+1, Dr. Selsor serves a region with a significant diabetic population, necessitating advanced foot care capabilities.
- The proximity to Florida’s medical and wound care resources enables timely referrals for vascular or surgical support.
- Her practice utilizes advanced treatment options such as SurGraft XT dual-layer allografts for complex wounds Specialty Wound Care.
- We emphasize patient empowerment, knowing that daily behavior and savvy foot care choices can prevent serious complications.
If you or a loved one has diabetes, scheduling regular comprehensive foot evaluations is critical. Early detection and management of foot changes can prevent serious outcomes. Let us partner with you in protecting your mobility and quality of life.