Debridement

Debridement is the process to remove dead skin and tissue. Your doctor or nurse will need to do this to be able to see your foot ulcer. There are many ways to do this.

One way is to use a scalpel and special scissors.

• The skin surrounding the wound is cleaned and disinfected.
• The wound is probed with a metal instrument to determine how deep it is and to see if there is any foreign material or object in the ulcer.
• The doctor cuts away the dead tissue, then washes out any unattached tissue.
• Your sore may seem bigger and deeper after the doctor or nurse debrides it. The ulcer should be red or pink in color and look like fresh meat.

Other ways to remove dead or infected tissue are to :

• Put your foot in a whirlpool bath.
• Use a syringe and catheter (tube).
• Apply wet to dry dressings to the area.
• Put special chemicals, called enzymes, on your ulcer. These dissolve dead tissue from the wound.