COMPLICATIONS INCREASE WITH HIGH BLOOD SUGARS

Arlington Heights, Ill. - A new study released today shows that among patients undergoing surgery for chronic wounds related to diabetes, the risk of wound-related complications is affected by how well the patient's blood sugar levels are controlled before surgery. These findings appear in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
The risk of serious wound complications is more than three times higher for patients who have high blood glucose before and after surgery, and in those with poor long-term diabetes control, according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeons, Drs. Mathew Endara and Christopher Attinger of the Center for Wound Healing at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. The researchers emphasize the need for "tight control" of glucose levels before surgery for diabetic patients at high risk of wound complications.