SAWC Fall Opens With a Call to Pair Clinical Excellence With Presence
Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall opened in Las Vegas with expressions of gratitude for cochairs, faculty, and sponsors, and a reminder to maximize on-site learning via the meeting app, session evaluations, and credit claiming (available through October 6, 2025). The tone then shifted from housekeeping to purpose as the morning keynote—delivered by patient advocate and product specialist Cam Ayala—centered on the lived experience of primary lymphedema, chronic infection, and ultimately right above-knee amputation.
Rejecting a polished, AI-drafted script, Ayala emphasized authenticity and respect for the clinicians in the room. “I’m not special. I’m not superhuman. I’m just willing,” he told attendees, framing willingness—to show up, to listen, and to stand with patients—as the bridge between technical skill and meaningful care.
Ayala traced a diagnostic and treatment course beginning in adolescence with leg-length discrepancy and progressive swelling, followed by a yearlong sequence of specialist visits. Years later came repeated episodes of osteomyelitis, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC), antibiotics, physical and occupational therapy, and mounting functional loss affecting work, finances, and relationships. He described the practical and psychosocial weight of conservative management—elevation, multilayer wraps, compression garments, and pneumatic pumping—alongside strict avoidance of skin injury and heat while attempting to live a normal, active life.
After recurrent infections and limited function, he elected amputation on June 22, 2022. Postoperatively, he rebuilt mobility and reengaged with community organizations, highlighting how peer connection and purpose can catalyze recovery. He credited family, clinicians, and prosthetic specialists, emphasizing that visibility and validation are as critical as procedures or devices: feeling “invisible” compounded suffering more than pain itself.
For wound care teams managing diabetes, venous disease, dermatologic disorders, obesity, and other drivers of chronic wounds, the keynote underscored the clinical stakes of communication. “Your bedside manner matters,” he said—whether a patient is facing toe loss from diabetes or an intervention for venous insufficiency. The message was not to minimize science or technology, but to anchor them in presence, clear expectations, and shared decision-making—particularly when the choice is between prolonged limb salvage with uncertain function and amputation with different, but potentially greater, mobility.
Key takeaways for practice
• Make the invisible visible. Patients living with lymphedema, chronic infection, or limb loss often feel unseen. Acknowledgment, eye-level conversations, and explicit validation can reduce distress and improve adherence.
• Name the workload of therapy. Compression, elevation, wrapping, and device use are burdensome. Normalize barriers, co-create realistic routines, and adjust plans to fit the patient’s daily life.
• Coordinate across disciplines. Long journeys through multiple specialists are common. Proactive handoffs and unified messaging help prevent fragmentation and fatigue.
• Share decisions transparently. When outcomes are uncertain, outline functional trajectories for limb salvage and for amputation in plain language, and revisit goals over time.
• Let presence amplify skill. Technical excellence and empathy are complementary. As the speaker reminded the room, “Your bedside manner matters” when patients stand at inflection points in their care.
Attendees left with a practical charge: pair evidence-based interventions with consistent presence so patients not only survive complex wound care—they find a path forward.
