About venous leg ulcers
Several common beliefs about venous leg ulcers get in the way of healing. One is that the sore needs air so it can dry out and scab. In general, clinicians aim for a moist, protected wound, not a dry one. Another is that the dressing does the healing. The dressing manages drainage, while compression addresses the swelling that holds the ulcer open.
A third is that resting means sitting with the feet on the floor, which lets fluid collect. People also assume a red, weeping leg must be infected, when skin inflamed by vein disease can look much the same. Each of these is worth raising with the treating clinician.
What an assessment covers
A plan for a venous leg ulcer has to work on ordinary days, so the treating clinician looks at how you live with the leg. Can you bend far enough to reach your foot? Do your hands have the grip to pull on a stocking? Who is in the house to help, and how often? What shoes fit over a wrap?
The answers guide the kind of compression that is ordered. Layered wraps applied by a clinician suit some people. An adjustable garment that a caregiver can manage suits others. A plan that fits your routine is more likely to stay on the leg, and compression only helps while it is worn.
Venous leg ulcer care in Wentzville
In Wentzville, a vein specialist or vascular lab can be a long drive away, and a car ride is hard on a venous ulcer. Sitting with the knees bent and feet on the floor for a long stretch each way lets fluid settle in the lower legs. When routine wrap changes and wound checks happen at home, those drives can be saved for appointments that truly need a specialist’s equipment. Gateway arranges home visits with a partner clinician, helps schedule any testing the clinician orders, and groups appointments where possible so one trip covers more than one need.
Much of the housing in Wentzville is new: two-story homes in large subdivisions, townhomes, apartments and villas built with older adults in mind. Closer to the old downtown there are smaller, older houses, and the outskirts still have homes on acreage. Assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing are available in and near the city. Gateway arranges visits with partner clinicians in all of these settings. When a parent has moved in with adult children, we make sure the family member who manages the care is included in scheduling and updates.
Care at home
Family caregivers often carry part of the work for a venous leg ulcer at home. Depending on the orders, that might mean helping with a stocking or adjustable garment, changing an outer dressing, propping the legs at rest, or watching the toes and skin for changes. No one should have to guess. The treating clinician can show a caregiver which tasks are theirs and which to leave alone, and Gateway can request visit times when the caregiver is able to be there. If the caregiver works, travels or lives elsewhere, tell us, and with your permission we will keep them informed by phone.
In a facility
In a skilled nursing facility, venous leg ulcer care is shared work. The partner clinician sees the resident on site, assesses the ulcer and the circulation, and writes or recommends orders in line with the facility’s process. Nursing staff carry out dressing changes and compression between visits and document what they see. Gateway keeps the two connected by scheduling rounds with the facility, sending visit notes and following up on open questions. The attending physician stays informed and remains in charge of the resident’s overall medical care, including the heart, kidney and medication issues that affect leg swelling.
What to report and when to call 911
Changes in the skin around a venous ulcer are worth reporting even when the wound itself looks the same. Let the treating clinician know about:
- Dressings that soak through earlier than expected
- Skin near the ulcer that turns white, soggy or raw
- A new itchy rash or blisters under a dressing, tape or wrap
- A new open area anywhere on either leg
- Clear fluid weeping from skin that was intact
- A dressing or wrap that got wet or dirty
Call 911 if bleeding will not stop with firm pressure, or if the person becomes confused, very drowsy or hard to wake.
How primary care fits in
Not all leg swelling comes from the veins. The heart, kidneys, liver and thyroid can each cause fluid to build up, and so can certain medicines for blood pressure, pain or diabetes. Sorting out which causes apply is primary care work, usually involving an exam, a medication review and sometimes blood tests or heart testing. That information changes wound care. A clinician planning compression wants to know, for example, whether heart failure is present and how stable it is. When Gateway arranges wound care and primary care together, findings move in both directions and the leg is not handled as if it were separate from the person.
How to get started in Wentzville
To arrange venous leg ulcer care in Wentzville, call Gateway at 314-325-0126. Patients, family members and caregivers can call directly, and a referral is not required. We will ask where the patient lives, what has been done for the wound so far and which clinicians are involved. Gateway then confirms whether a partner clinician is available for that address and care setting, requests the relevant records and schedules the visit. At that visit the treating clinician examines the wound and decides on the plan. Our job from then on is the coordination: orders, supplies, follow-up visits and keeping the care team informed.
The closest hospitals for most Wentzville families are SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Lake Saint Louis and Progress West Hospital in O’Fallon, both to the east along the interstates. Gateway is not affiliated with either one. For families, the handoff is simple: call us when you know a discharge is coming, or once the patient is home. For discharge planners, a phone call or fax with the patient’s contact details and orders starts the process. We then coordinate records and arrange follow-up with a partner clinician in Wentzville.
- County: St. Charles County, Missouri
- ZIP codes: 63385
- Nearby hospitals: SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Lake Saint Louis; Progress West Hospital in O'Fallon (not affiliated with Gateway)
- Nearby communities: Lake St. Louis, O'Fallon, Missouri, St. Charles County, Dardenne Prairie
- Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation
More wound care in Wentzville
Read the full guide to venous leg ulcers, or see everything Gateway arranges on the mobile wound care in Wentzville page.
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Pressure injuries and bed sores
- Arterial and mixed wounds
- Non-healing wounds
- Post-surgical wounds
- Reopened (dehisced) surgical wounds
- Surgical site infections
- Skin tears and traumatic wounds
- Wounds with lymphedema
- Skin graft aftercare
- Wound VAC (NPWT) follow-up
- Venous leg ulcer care in Lake St. Louis
- Venous leg ulcer care in O'Fallon
- Venous leg ulcer care in St. Charles County
Common questions
Who arranges long-term compression garments for patients in Wentzville once an ulcer has closed?
The treating clinician or your primary care clinician decides whether you need ongoing compression and at what strength. Garments usually require measuring, and they wear out and need replacing. Gateway can coordinate the order, the fitting and reminders for replacement, and can arrange primary care follow-up if you do not have a regular clinician. Payment for garments depends on your plan.
What is the difference between a venous ulcer and an arterial ulcer?
Venous ulcers come from blood pooling in the leg. They tend to be shallow, wet and located near the ankle on a swollen leg. Arterial ulcers come from too little blood reaching the tissue and are often on the toes, foot or shin, with a dry base and pain that worsens when the leg is raised. Some people have both. Telling them apart takes a clinical exam and circulation testing.
Do I need a referral to start venous leg ulcer care in Wentzville?
No referral is needed to call Gateway. Patients, family members and caregivers can contact us directly, and hospitals, facilities and practices can refer as well. Some health plans have their own referral or authorization rules, which depend on the plan and the treating provider. We will tell you what records or orders the treating clinician needs before a first visit.
Does Gateway arrange visits west of Wentzville, toward Warren County?
Gateway coordinates care across Greater St. Louis, including St. Charles County out to Wentzville. For addresses farther west, the honest answer is that it depends on the location and the care setting. Call 314-325-0126 with the address and we will check. If a visit cannot be arranged there, we will say so directly.
General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.