Wound Care Services

Diabetic wounds

Perhaps you’re checking your blood sugar before dinner and notice yellowish pus coming from a scrape on your hand that’s been there forever. Maybe you’re watching your son – newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes – swing on the monkey bars, and you see that the cut on his leg is still inflamed after two weeks. You may wonder, is this normal for wound healing or are things taking too long?

Normally, wounds should be well into the healing process within a couple weeks. But some medical conditions, like diabetes, can slow down the healing process and make infections, including pressure ulcers like diabetic foot wounds, more likely.

The good news is that there are ways for people living with diabetes to promote wound healing. Read on to learn why diabetes can make sores and wounds heal more slowly, what you can do to speed up the process and how a wound care center can help.

Learn more about chronic wound care

How Does Wound Care Work???

Skin Grafting with Stem Cells

  • Autologous or Allogenic Skin Grafts: For chronic wounds, skin grafts can cover exposed tissue and provide a scaffold for new skin growth. Autologous grafts (from the patient’s own body) are preferred to reduce rejection risk.
  • Bioengineered or Synthetic Grafts: In cases where autologous grafts are unavailable, bioengineered skin substitutes or synthetic grafts can be used. Many of these grafts contain a matrix conducive to stem cell adherence and tissue regeneration.

Stem Cell Application

  • Source of Stem Cells: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), derived from sources like bone marrow, adipose tissue, or umbilical cord, are typically used due to their regenerative capabilities. They may be harvested from the patient (autologous) or a donor (allogenic).
  • Stem Cell Administration: Stem cells can be applied directly to the wound bed, injected into the surrounding tissue, or incorporated into the skin graft itself. Some treatments involve mixing stem cells with a gel or scaffold that helps them adhere to the wound bed and promotes their proliferation.

More on diabetic wound care

Poor Circulation From Diabetes

If you have poor circulation, it can take longer for wounds to heal. That’s because it’s harder for blood to get to the wound site to fight off infection and help with the rebuilding process.


One reason for poor circulation is the thickness of your blood. If you have high glucose levels, your blood is thicker, making it harder for your heart to push it from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes.


Many people living with diabetes also have peripheral vascular disease (reduced blood flow to arms and legs). This can be caused by plaque buildup in your arteries which narrows blood vessels, making it harder for blood to get from your heart to the rest of your body. People with diabetes are also more likely to have weakened veins. If your veins aren’t able to push the blood in your legs back toward your heart, blood can pool in your legs, causing chronic venous insufficiency.