Glenn Sherman is healthy and active after a scary bout with cellulitis and the possibility of losing a limb. The North County resident’s story ended on a happy note after he turned to the Palomar Health Wound Care Centers for help early last year.
Sherman, 69, developed cellulitis during a trip to Mexico and was admitted into a hospital in San Diego. The bacterial skin infection had spread from his lower right leg to the tip of his foot, where a three-inch-long, half-inch deep blister developed.
Sherman had been successfully treated for cellulitis before with antibiotics. But not this time. He had peripheral artery disease (PAD) and the poor circulation on his foot kept the antibiotics from doing their job.
His physician raised the possibility of amputation if treatment to improve his circulation failed.
Sherman pressed for the best treatment available, one that he would feel confident about, and was referred to the Palomar Health Wound Care Centers in North County.
He began comprehensive wound care treatment - including Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - under the care of a team of physicians and nurses led by Dr. Bradley Bailey, MD, FAAEM, FCCWS, and the Centers’ Associate Medical Director.
“The first time I met Dr. Bailey, I just felt wonderful,” Sherman said. “It was the first time in over a month that I had hope that I was going to be cured.”
Dr. Alexander Salloum, MD, a vascular surgeon affiliated with the Center, performed a series of procedures to remove plaque from Sherman's arteries, restoring blood flow to his foot. The hyperbaric treatment at the Wound Care Center in Poway also helped grow new tissue in the affected area.
Less than three months after his first visit to the Wound Care Center, Sherman was declared cured and released to play golf, his favorite pastime, and “to do everything I did before.”
“I still have my foot. The Wound Care Center just did a great job,” Sherman said. “They are just fantastic. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
Dr. Bailey said: “Mr. Sherman’s success is the product of a true limb preservation team effort,” Dr. Bailey said. “This includes not only a highly-motivated patient but also a top-notch wound care and hyperbaric team, including nursing staff and hyperbaric technicians as well as our outstanding consulting vascular surgeon, Dr. Salloum.”
Dr. Bailey is also a national medical director at Healogics, the leader in outpatient wound care management services and the partner of choice for more than 500 hospitals across the United States.
About Palomar Health Wound Care Centers:
Palomar Health Wound Care Centers consist of two outpatient wound clinics in San Diego County, one at the Palomar Health Outpatient Pavilion in Poway, and one at Palomar Health in San Marcos. The Wound Care Centers are dedicated to the care of patients with chronic, non-healing wounds and conditions receptive to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
The Palomar Health Wound Care Center in San Marcos is at 120 Craven Road, Suite 105, San Marcos. It can be reached by calling 760.510.7300.
The Palomar Health Wound Care Center in Poway is at 15611 Pomerado Road, Suite 200. It can be reached by calling 858.613.6255.