IMI - International Medical Intruments Inc.

SKIN ULCERS

Chronic leg ulcers are a common and costly problem in North America. Despite numerous treatments that are available, many ulcers are difficult to heal and recurrence rates are high. Some of the existing treatments such as skin grafting, hyperbaric oxygen, ultrasound and ultraviolet light only marginally improve outcomes. It is estimated that there are 9 million skin ulcer patients in North America who cost the health care system $50,000 each. Consequently, an efficient treatment for ulcers will not only benefit thousands of patients, it will save the health care system million of dollars annually.

That treatment is now available using low energy photon therapy!

The efficacy of this treatment was described in a front page article in the august 1994 issue of the Dermatology Times of Canada. In addition to the scientific discussion of LEPT, the article describes the treatment of a patient at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto - a teaching hospital associated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.

The patient was a woman over 70 years of age with a 200 square cm leg ulcer that had persisted for 13 years. The woman had had a hysterectomy related to cancer, radiation therapy and osteomyelitis of the ankle bone. Despite three failed skin grafts, the ulcer began to heal after low energy photon treatments began. The necrotic tissue disappeared, microcirculation improved and tissue grew under the new skin and filled in the wound.

According to a report by Jacqui Telfer of the Department of Physiotherapy at Scarborough General Hospital in suburban Toronto, 13 patients with 22 leg ulcers were treated. 19 of the 22 ulcers were completely healed in 60 treatments; 2 decreased in size by 75% and one did not heal. (Scarborough General Hospital Mednews, vol 6 no 2, May 1993)

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