In his steadfast approach to treating wounds that are resistant to healing, Dr. Jayesh Shah must think and act like a modern day Sherlock Holmes. For instance, when a diabetic patient shows up with an ulcer that will not heal, Shah begins by carefully scrutinizing the patient’s complete medical and case history, as well as physical factors and beyond.

“A lot of patients don’t heal because they don’t follow doctor’s orders,” Shah said. “Their diet is out of control or it’s a lack of family support. On (the South Side) of town many have poor socioeconomic status, so they don’t have all the means necessary to get well. “You have to be like a detective to find out what’s wrong. You can give them costly medication, but it will not work. You have to examine all the clues to see why they’re not healing.”

Shah is president and medical director of South Texas Wound Associates and the medical director for the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Southwest General Hospital.

A native of India, the 39-year-old Shah, who also specializes in internal medicine, was only one of about three physicians in San Antonio who focused on wound care when he started his practice 10 years ago.

“There was a lot of need out there, and there were a lot of patients who were not being cared for properly,” Shah said, adding that today there are about eight wound care physicians in San Antonio. “There was no concept of what we do now, and sometimes patients needed amputations.”

At South Texas Wound Associates, 7500 Barlite Blvd., the wound care physician and his colleagues treat approximately 800 to 1,000 patients a month. Many, he said, suffer from diabetes, poor circulation or a weakened immune system.

To treat chronic non-healing wounds, Shah often uses hyperbaric medicine: it’s the use of high-pressure oxygen to treat an illness or wounds, such as a skin graft or an amputation that won’t heal. It’s also used to treat carbon dioxide poisoning or when divers get decompression sickness.

To keep abreast of the latest advances in wound care technology and treatment, Shah attends annual conferences, enrolls in continuing medical education opportunities and reads medical journals.

In addition, Shah often lectures at conferences and presents his study, “Approach to Commonly Misdiagnosed Wounds and Unusual Leg Ulcers.” At those meetings, he recommends that a wound biopsy be performed because failure to heal is often a result of misdiagnosis.

“We looked at the role of doing a biopsy in wounds that are not healing to make sure there’s not another condition like cancer or vasculitis,” Shah said. He also lectures to international students regularly about wound care and hyperbaric medicine at Nix Hospital.

In June 2007, Shah’s work as a wound care physician earned him a Young Scientist/Medical Doctor Award by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) at their annual meeting in Hawaii. He also received the Jefferson C. Davis Award for Excellence in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine by the UHMS Gulf Coast Chapter in Nashville in August 2007.

“Dr. Shah is an accomplished clinician, scientist and teacher, who is highly respected within the medical community and our professional society,” wrote Dr. Bret Stolp, UHMS president. “His distinctive achievements make him an excellent choice for the Young Scientist/ Medical Doctor Award.”

Shah is also the regional director of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, an organization consisting of 50,000 Indian physicians and 15,000 medical students and residents.

“The Wound Care Center at Southwest General Hospital has blossomed because of him, and it’s a well recognized program,” said Dr. Vijay Koli, AAPIO past president. “Dr. Shah is an excellent physician. He’s caring, knowledgeable and down to earth.

“He’s done extremely well in his profession not only because of his personality, but because he’s very easy to get along with, and he is well liked by everyone.”

Shah, whose father was an electrical engineer and whose mother oversaw the household, said his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in medicine.

“They always said we should do something to help others,” he said.

Away from work, Shah enjoys spending time with his wife, Neha, a physical therapist, and his daughter, Prachi, 10; and 8-year-old son, Aj.

For more information about South Texas Wound Associates or to read the full text of “Approach to Commonly Misdiagnosed Wounds,” visit www.wounddoctors.com.