Diabetic Foot Center of Seattle
With urgent appointments available, Dr. Hoy provides diabetic foot care, wound care and limb preservation services in Seattle. Limb preservation means preventing loss of foot and amputation by performing various preventive and surgical treatment modalities in the at-risk foot, including taking care of thick nails, calluses, corns, ulcers, wounds, infections and gangrene. Dr. Hoy has worked extensively with at-risk patients (e.g. patients with diabetes, poor circulation, Hansen’s Disease, Buerger’s disease), and has a passion for this work. He has practiced in some of the hardest hit areas of the country, including:
• The Veterans Affairs Hospital in San Francisco, California, which performed the most diabetic foot surgery in the San Francisco Bay Area when Dr. Hoy was a resident physician.
• San Antonio, Texas, a world center of excellence for research on the diabetic foot.
• The Swedish Cherry Hill Wound Healing Center in Seattle, where Dr. Hoy worked as an attending podiatrist, supervising Foot and Ankle Surgery Residents.
Diabetes and the Foot from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo.
We have created a library of information regarding diabetes and the feet:
- General Information About Diabetes and Hypertension
- What Can Happen to the Diabetic Foot?
- How to Take Care of Your Feet
- What Is Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy?
- What Is Peripheral Vascular Disease?
- Problem #1: Wounds and Ulcers
- Team Approach in Treating Wounds and Ulcers
- Problem #2: Charcot Foot
- Pitfalls Preventing Podiatric Care As a Diabetic, and Diabetic Shoes
Wounds and ulcers that will not heal can lead to serious complications. Getting proper treatment from our experienced Seattle podiatrist is critical. As a leading Seattle diabetic foot and wound care specialist, Dr. John Hoy can properly examine, diagnose and treat a large variety of wounds such as diabetic wounds and ulcers, infected wounds, pressure ulcers and arterial ulcers with the best possible solutions. If you have a wound or ulcer that worsens over time or seems slow to heal, it is important to visit Dr. Hoy for a complete diagnosis.
The Problem. At risk patients may have poor nerve sensation, called peripheral neuropathy, that makes them unable to feel sharp objects or sores in the feet, leading to infections. Patients may also have poor blood circulation to the feet, called peripheral vascular disease, which prevents nutrients and infection-fighting cells and antibiotics from getting to the feet. This may cause infections to spread quickly, or tissues to die, also called gangrene. Some common risks of the above include diabetes, smoking and alcohol abuse.
The Solution. One component of treatment is prevention. For at-risk patients Dr. Hoy performs regular examinations to limit their risk of limb loss. For example, making sure nails and calluses are trimmed back to a safe length and thickness to prevent sores from developing under or around them.
We utilize the VIP Approach for ulcer care and limb preservation. Dr. Hoy orders circulation testing and appropriate follow up if necessary. If there is a limb threatening infection or wound, Dr. Hoy is experienced in biomechanically-based wound care that includes debridement, antibiotics, offweighting and compression. Hospitalization, consultation with other specialists, and surgery to clean out and remove infected parts of the foot, or to reconstruct the foot to prevent future wounds from occurring, may also be needed.
“I had my first appointment with Dr. Hoy this week and was very satisfied with the experience. I’m dealing with several foot problems, some related to being diabetic and some not. He listened attentively to my concerns as I explained the problems that the current condition of my feet present to my active lifestyle. He was very good at not only taking immediate action to relieve some problems with current pain but also explaining what he was doing, why, what the source of my problem(s) are and his recommendations about how to go forward in addressing and, hopefully, alleviating or “curing” both recent problems and long term ones. It is my understanding that he specializes in diabetic foot and nail care and health. I would definitely recommend him to others with diabetes related concerns and problems with their feet.” -Gayle R.