Diabetic foot ulcers: Surgery options to treat and prevent podiatric emergencies
December 22, 2021
New Patient Appointment Accepting Virtual Visits or 214-645-2353
Lawrence A. Lavery, D.P.M., M.P.H., is a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is also the Medical Director of the Diabetic Limb Salvage (DLS) program at Parkland Memorial Hospital and works as part of the DLS team at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Dr. Lavery’s clinic and research interests involve diabetic foot complications, infections, and wound healing.
Dr. Lavery completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University and then earned his medical degree at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Dr. William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago. He completed a residency in podiatric medicine and surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where he also earned a Master in Public Health.
He is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons (Glasgow).
Prior to joining UT Southwestern in 2010, Dr. Lavery was a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Scott and White Medical Center in Temple, Texas; the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. He has also served as a staff podiatrist at VA hospitals in San Antonio and Maywood, Illinois.
Dr. Lavery’s research group has published over 320 peer reviewed scientific paper and textbook chapters. His H-index is 91. They have received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, American Diabetes Association, Veterans Administration, Qatar National Research Foundation, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, American Podiatric Medical Association, and private industry.
A board-certified podiatrist, Lawrence A. Lavery, D.P.M., M.P.H., is an internationally recognized expert in diabetic foot complications, including diabetic foot ulcers, soft tissue and bone infections, Charcot arthropathy, and prevention strategies. As a leading member of the team that established UT Southwestern’s Wound Care Clinic, he’s been at the forefront of expanding options for patients in North Texas.
Dr. Lavery currently is a member of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, including both the diabetic foot infection and diabetic foot prevention study groups. He is past chair of the American Diabetes Association Foot Care Counsel and the American Public Health Association’s Foot Section.
"We apply comprehensive solutions focused on helping patients recover. For some patients, this means salvaging a limb using advanced techniques based on the newest research available in wound care.”
By combining groundbreaking research with scientific treatment options, he’s able to offer novel, evidenced-based treatments. His expertise includes the full range of wound care options – including stem cell-based wound therapy, bioengineered tissue, electrical stimulation, and negative pressure wound therapy.
“One of the most important advantages I can offer patients is access to a full spectrum of therapies based on scientific evidence, and a comprehensive team of clinicians and surgeons that are dedicated to Diabetic Limb Salvage. We have a close working relationship with world-class vascular surgeons, infectious disease experts, orthopedic surgeons, and therapists. Our system fosters communication and collaboration,” Dr. Lavery says.
“We use the proven treatments that might be considered old school, as well as many of the most innovative treatments in the world. And because we collaborate with industry to study new technologies, we often have new treatments that are not available at other centers,” he adds.
Dr. Lavery says great progress has been accomplished with science-based strategies to save limbs. However, he stresses patients should seek care sooner rather than later because early treatment can be key to improving their chances of recovery and preventing an amputation.
We have a strong commitment to research and investigating new therapies. Dr. Lavery leads a research team that’s focused on improving treatment and prevention of diabetic foot complications. Dr. Lavery’s groundbreaking work has received research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Veterans Administration (VA), American Diabetes Association, Agency for Health Quality Research, Qatar National Research Foundation, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, American Podiatric Medical Association, and private industry. This includes studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), such as identifying biomarkers in diabetic patients to diagnose and monitor foot infections and to help doctors understand why some people heal and some do not.
Results: 1 Locations
New Patient Appointment Accepting Virtual Visits or 214-645-2353