After 15 months and talk of amputation, one man finally finds healing

Jeff and Cathy Dzuro

In the summer of 2024, West Akron resident Jeff Dzuro, age 69, was trimming trees in his backyard when a branch nicked his leg. What seemed like a minor cut would turn into a 15-month medical ordeal that nearly cost him his leg.

At first the wound seemed minor, but when it didn’t improve, he sought care at a local wound clinic. After 5 weeks of treatment, the wound only grew larger and more concerning, eventually landing him in the emergency room. From there, he was referred to another wound clinic, beginning a frustrating cycle of hospital stays and treatments.

“I spent 6 weeks in and out of the hospital with infections in my leg wounds. I had sepsis probably 4 or 5 times,” Jeff said.

His wife, Cathy, remembers the exhausting routine of trying to control the infections while the wounds themselves continued to worsen.

“They would give him antibiotics, a PICC line and infusions to get the infection under control, but the underlying problem was the wounds weren’t healing,” she said. “We even tried the hyperbaric oxygen chamber.”

During the ordeal, Jeff saw specialists in rheumatology, endocrinology and dermatology to rule out other conditions that could have prevented healing. Ultimately, none of them found an underlying cause.

Before his injury, Jeff was an avid fisherman and is looking forward to getting back to it this summer.

When chronic wounds led to a devastating amputation recommendation

Over time, the wound deepened – eventually reaching the bone. Jeff’s doctor delivered the devastating news that amputation might be the best option.

“We were adamant that we weren’t doing that,” Cathy said, tearing up as she remembered the conversation.

Eventually, Jeff’s doctor had success healing the wound on the back of his calf, but the wound on the front of his leg continued to deteriorate, leaving a tendon exposed. A surgeon attempted to treat it using shark cartilage/bovine collagen artificial skin, but it became infected and had to be removed.

Then Jeff became critically ill again. After another bout of sepsis, he fell at home and suffered a new wound on his ankle that quickly deepened.

“The surgeon wanted to cut the tendon out in an attempt to save his leg,” Cathy said. “We were just heartbroken because at this point, we’d been dealing with this for over a year.”

Jeff was in and out of hospitals with infections and sepsis for the better part of a year before connecting with Dr. Khandelwal, who thoroughly debrided Jeff’s wound surgically as well as used a wound vac – 2 treatments that hadn’t been used in his previous care.

A surprising referral to a burn center for chronic wound care

Running out of options, the couple sought one final opinion from a local dermatologist. That decision changed everything.

The dermatologist referred them to the Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute, supported by The Paul and Carol David Foundation – something Jeff and Cathy had never considered.

“In the more than a year we had been dealing with this, no one had ever mentioned Akron Children’s as an option,” Cathy said. “We thought they only treated people with burns or kids.”

According to Dr. Anjay Khandelwal, burn surgeon and director of Akron Children’s burn center, people often think that burn centers only take care of thermal injuries – but we also take care of some of the most challenging wounds the body can experience.

“Like burns, these complex wounds frequently occur in adults, and they often benefit from the same multidisciplinary care we use for burn patients,” he said.

Before being injured, Jeff was a healthy and active 69-year-old who enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Finding help at the Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute at Akron Children’s

After speaking to someone in the burn center, Jeff sent photos of his wounds to Dr. Khandelwal.

“When I first saw the photos, it was clear this was a very severe and complex wound that had been struggling to heal for quite some time,” said Dr. Khandelwal. “It threatened his function, his independence and potentially even his limb due to exposed tendon, muscle and bone.

“Our first priority was to stabilize the wound and create the right environment for healing,” he added. “I recognized how hard his journey had been and was committed to restoring his quality of life and his leg.”

Dr. Khandelwal quickly identified a treatment step that hadn’t been utilized in Jeff’s previous care.

“He said I needed a wound vac,” Jeff said. “I think he was surprised in all my treatments that had never been used.”

After speaking with Dr. Khandelwal, Jeff was admitted to Akron Children’s 2 days later.

Dr. Khandelwal, pictured top left with Jeff, is pleased with his progress. Burn nurse Rebecca Stilwell, bottom left, places a wound vac on one small wound Jeff still has. Far right, Jeff’s foot and ankle have healed up nicely following his skin graft surgery with Dr. Khandelwal.

Advanced wound care and skin grafting offer a new path to healing

With a fresh set of eyes, the Akron Children’s team began by thoroughly cleaning and debriding the wound to ensure all the non-healthy tissue was removed while preserving as much tendon and bone as possible.

A few days later, Dr. Khandelwal placed a state-of-the-art artificial skin substitute over the wound to help rebuild the damaged tissue. The advanced treatment created durable coverage over the exposed tendon and bone surrounding Jeff’s foot, ankle and lower leg.

As the wound began to improve, Jeff continued treatment as an outpatient. When the area was healed enough, Dr. Khandelwal performed a final skin graft using skin from Jeff’s thigh to permanently close the wound.

“After surgery his ankle wound turned red and started to heal,” Cathy said. “He only had to stay in the hospital for a few days.”

Jeff estimates if he hadn’t found Dr. Khandelwal when he did, he was likely weeks away from losing his leg.

After 15 months, recovery finally begins

By January 2026, Jeff was walking again. “I haven’t felt this good in over a year,” he said.

Now, he’s focused on getting back to the outdoor life he missed during his long recovery. An avid fisherman, Jeff hopes to be back on the water this summer – something that felt impossible just months ago.

A life-changing outcome after a last-minute second opinion

Looking back, Cathy believes their decision to seek one final opinion made all the difference.

Right before connecting with Akron Children’s, she says they had nearly lost hope.

“I guarantee he would have lost his leg,” she said. “Because of Dr. Khandelwal and all the angels in the burn center, we’re here today sharing this journey. It wouldn’t have been possible without them. It feels like a miracle.”