Advancement in Healing Diabetic Foot Ulcers

A case report by Dr. Mark Dreyer, DPM board-certified in wound management and podiatry surgery

By Thomas Adams III, Publisher of Federal Public Medicine

As a former United States Navy officer trained in the restoration of lower limb health, Dr. Mark Dreyer, DPM was provided access to the most advanced emerging wound care therapies available. And while many have significantly improved positive outcomes, the challenge remains to stay ahead of infection because this dramatically increases amputation risk.

Recently, however, Dr. Dreyer experienced unique standout results with a high-risk patient from his use of a unique new therapy that initiates and accelerates the body’s own healing process. It is exceptionally effective for treating highly challenging wounds, including the threatening foot wounds associated with diabetes.

This involved a 68-year-old diabetic woman with a chronic wound on her right shin who became Dr. Dreyer’s patient when her wound was approximately 6 months old and now caused her constant severe pain that highly limited her mobility. Prior to seeing Dr. Dreyer, she sought care at an urgent care facility that prescribed formal wound care, including the use of a Wound Vac pump to remove edematous fluid and debris, to promote circulation and closure. This treatment included numerous antibiotics, and she could not bathe or shower after each procedure. After approximately 2 months, the treatment showed no success and her pain level had become intolerable, and her wound care specialist recommended amputation. Before the surgery was performed however, an unrelated cardiac event took place that delayed the procedure. So her wound care treatments continued, with the same lack of success.

At that point the patient heard about Dr. Dreyer and his outstanding experiences with lower limb health and wound care, and decided to seek his care. Upon becoming her doctor in December 2023, Dr. Dreyer discontinued the Wound Vac procedures and initially treated her wounds with skin grafts, hyperbaric oxygen, and collagen dressings derived from placental skin. Only minimal improvements were noted, and after approximately one year Dr. Dreyer concluded that all options had been exhausted. But then he received a new topical product that promised to stimulate the body’s effective healing processes regardless how serious the wound is. Dr. Dreyer contacted his patient and encouraged her to try it under his care.

The product, called “Crescel,” is a topical cream applied directly to the wound twice daily. “The first thing I noticed was — no pain!” the patient exclaimed. “I could touch my skin again!” The unbearable sensitivity of the skin surrounding the wound had disappeared, and the wound itself began closing. There was not a single negative side effect. Treatment with Crescel also allowed the patient to bathe, and before long she was able to resume the activities she relished. Her homebound life was now in the past.

Mark Dreyer, DPM, United States Navy Veteran and former Military Podiatrist

Crescel’s unique microemulsion technology enables delivery of a proprietary combination of botanical ingredients (a spectrum of extracts from aloe barbadensis and oat kernel, i.e., avena sativa, oil) deep into the skin for continuous anti-inflammatory and moisturization activity. Although these botanicals have been widely recognized for their anti-inflammatory and healing properties, Crescel’s proprietary formula elevates these benefits to a new level of efficacy. The technology is designed to preserve their biological activities when they are combined, and produce novel synergistic activity. Additionally, Crescel maintains the physiological pH of the skin and is thus unbuffered, and it incorporates hydrophilic and hydrophobic components as do the skin cells and mitochondria.

Dr. Dreyer is board certified in wound management, podiatry and foot and ankle surgery. He was an ACFAS Fellow for Reconstruction and Limb Salvage. Healing challenging wounds is one of his long-standing passions. His focused preparation for cutting-edge expertise in treating challenging wounds began with his 3-year surgical residency and continued with a fellowship in advanced wound healing. Before moving to private practice, Dr. Dreyer was a Navy officer who brought his rare combination of skills in restoring lower limb health to help military members and their families in New England. He was also affiliated with a teaching hospital there and, in addition, worked at Newport Hospital’s Vanderbilt Wound Care Center.

Additional case results involving United States Veterans

John Cherry, a 66-year-old U.S. Air Force Veteran diagnosed with diabetes approximately 15 years ago, began experiencing peripheral neuropathy about 4 months prior to beginning treatment with Crescel. “I felt like I was walking on a pillow,” Mr. Cherry says. “I also developed restless leg syndrome prior to beginning the treatment. Then after about a month of using Crescel, all of those symptoms disappeared.”

Mr. Cherry has been using Crescel for approximately 7 months for treating his feet, and now includes a burn wound that he experienced on his forearm. He applied the cream to this wound immediately following the injury, and noticed that healing began right away. “I didn’t even develop a blister,” he comments. Mr. Cherry also experienced injury wounds recently, when he punctured his wrist and left side, and after thoroughly washing the wound area he immediately applied Crescel. No infection developed and the wound did not worsen. Instead, healing began immediately. “I had no negative side effects,” he reports, “only improvement — both with healing my wounds, and improving my neuropathy.”

Mr. Cherry shared his positive experiences with a friend, Mr. Chuck Taylor, an 80-year-old veteran living with prostate cancer and side effects from treatment that included a skin disorder and the loss of pubic hair. Mr. Taylor decided to try Crescel. Again, the results were outstanding. “I was so surprised to see that everything cleared up, just like it was before I had cancer,” he states, “and so were my primary care and cancer doctors!” Mr. Taylor was originally treated at the VA, and was eventually referred to a comprehensive care center in Las Vegas where he continues receiving treatment for his prostate cancer. “I was so impressed with Crescel,” he says, “that I let my daughter and granddaughter both try it for redness and blemishes on their faces and they both had incredible results. I could never have imagined that a product could do so well, and for so many things.”