The life-threatening leg ulcers causing a silent epidemic

A dressmaker, who suffered with a large leg ulcer for over four years, is urging people to get the right medical help early if they are worried about their legs and feet.

Julia Shaw of Outwood, Wakefield, first noticed a problem in 2015 after an operation to pin her broken leg resulted in an open wound which steadily got bigger and wouldn’t heal. After undergoing a muscle transplant and skin graft to cover it, a second wound appeared, which also refused to heal.

Julia was going to the hospital every week to have the dressings changed, but after two and a half years there was no improvement. She was eventually transferred to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, under the care of vascular nurse consultant Dr Leanne Atkin, which proved to be a huge turning point.

“The whole vascular team were determined to heal my wound and got me straight into compression socks, which really do work. I also had an ultrasound, which found I had blocked veins contributing greatly to the lack of healing.

“The crucial thing is to get the right care early. For wounds like these, you need a specialist consultant straight away. It is vitally important that you are confident with your consultant and the treatment being offered. Do not settle for anything less.”

Julia is one of an estimated one million people a year in the UK who have a life-threatening or serious problem with their legs and feet, often caused by an underlying issue with their circulation.

Dr Atkin is also chair of the UK’s Legs Matter Campaign – working to improve care for serious lower leg conditions including leg or foot ulcers, swollen legs and cellulitis. She hopes that increased awareness will result in more people demanding that the right care is provided the first time and help to prevent patient suffering.

She aid: “Lower limb conditions are a silent and growing epidemic, but with the right care, much of the suffering and life-changing leg and foot problems could be avoided. As part of Legs Matter Week this year we are urging people to seek help quickly if they are worried and to go back to their healthcare provider if their leg or foot isn’t healing, to help avoid a permanent disability.”

The UK has a growing number of people experiencing serious lower limb problems – often linked to obesity and costing the NHS up to £5.3bn annually.

From October 12-16, Legs Matter Week hopes to encourage more people to check their legs and feet using a three-point checklist https://legsmatter.org/three-point-leg-check/ and to seek the right help if.

Organisers have created the ‘Legs Matter Lounge’. Since lockdown, important, new self-care Coronavirus resources for patients, families and health care professionals have also been added to the Legs Matter website www.legsmatter.org for information.