"Prevention & treatment of pressure sores, reaching the point of flap surgery" coming Nov. 18
Pressure wounds, pressure sores, bed sores … call them what you want but the whisper of those words send shivers up and down the spine (yes, even an injured spine) of anyone with a spinal cord injury and if you end up facing the prospect of requiring a flap surgery, it is a lengthy and nerve-racking recovery process that sidelines people for many months. But does it have to be this way? On Thurs., Nov. 18th at 5 p.m. PST, learn more about this condition by joining Dr. Kazuko Shem, Chief of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Clinic at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) in San Jose, and Dr. Deepak Gupta, surgeon at SCVMC’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Division who performs many flap surgeries on those with SCI. You can register for this free event HERE.
This presentation will describe:
risk factors for and mechanisms of pressure ulcers in individuals with SCI
categories of pressure ulcers
management of pressure ulcers including conservative treatment and surgical intervention
osteomyelitis (bone infections) that occur in individuals with SCI due to pressure ulcers
When it comes to the flap surgery itself, what’s more important is determining who is most appropriate for the surgery from rehab/psychosocial standpoint. Those who have needed repeat surgeries or whose surgery “failed” were not prepared adequately by the rehab doctors or were allowed to get out of bed too early by the outside surgeons. So, the post-operation follow up is critical to a successful outcome.
Dr. Shem joined the PM&R department in 1998 at SCVMC. Her interests are in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Electrodiagnostics, General Rehabilitation, and clinical research. She is predominantly involved clinically in seeing patients in the PM&R clinic.
Dr. Gupta has been practicing at SCVMC since 2018 and is Board Certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is currently the Assistant Director of the Burn Center at SCVMC. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s division of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
This presentation is part of our continuing “NorCal SCI Presents: Virtual is the New Reality Series” funded thanks to the generosity of our donors and you must register in advance to attend. Once you register, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail from us which you should keep for access information to the virtual event.