Wound Care

Our wound center follows a multidisciplinary approach to wound care, coordinating traditional and advanced therapies that aid and accelerate the healing process, which may include:

• Diagnostic testing (can include vascular testing, blood tests, x-rays)
• Nutritional evaluation
• Infection control
• Specialized dressings
• Pressure-relieving devices
• Debridement (removal of dead or infected tissue)
• Patient education
• Cellular, acellular, matrix-like products (CAMPs), also called skin substitutes
• Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy

Non-healing wounds rarely result from a single cause, and wound healing can be affected by many outside factors. Because of this, upon admission to our center, a provider-led team with advanced training in wound care and hyperbaric medicine will conduct a comprehensive patient assessment. This includes evaluating your wound and reviewing your medical history. You may also need special tests that give us information about circulation and infection. The results from this thorough evaluation and diagnostic testing will then be used to customize the most effective treatment plan to stimulate healing.

Your treatment plan is the personalized plan your provider creates to help you heal. It includes everything your wound care provider is doing in clinic and what you need to do at home between appointments, including following dressing orders, changing your diet or attending your weekly appointments.

Throughout your time as a patient at our center, we will also keep your primary care provider or referring physician informed on your treatment through timely progress reports, and you will be discharged from our center back to their office when the plan is complete.

Following your treatment plan is the single most important factor in your healing. Please don’t hesitate to contact your care team if you have any questions about your wound care treatment plan.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy is a safe, noninvasive outpatient medical treatment prescribed by a doctor to enhance the body’s ability to heal. During HBO₂ therapy, patients breathe 100% pure oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. The pressure inside an HBO₂ chamber is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This high-pressure environment allows the blood to carry more oxygen to all parts of your body to repair injured tissue. It also helps to fight certain infections, such as those that occur in the bone.

Often used in conjunction with other treatments, many different indications have been shown to benefit from HBO₂ therapy, including:

• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Chronic bone infections, also called osteomyelitis
• Non-healing surgical skin flaps and grafts
• Symptoms on or around the point of radiation (such as pain, rectal or bladder bleeding, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing or an open wound)
• Crush injuries
• Certain types of sudden hearing loss
• Sudden vision loss

Prior to entering the chamber, patients are given a hospital gown to wear. No cosmetics, perfumes, hair preparations, deodorants, wigs, jewelry or electronic devices are allowed in the chamber. The HBO₂ technician will need to know if you are taking any medications, including non-prescription drugs, or if you have any medical devices. Most pacemakers are allowed in the chamber.

Patients are also advised not to drink alcohol or carbonated beverages for four hours prior to treatment. Smoking and the use of tobacco products interferes with the body’s ability to transport oxygen. Therefore, the wound care team will work with you on techniques to help stop smoking during the treatment period.

One treatment, or “dive,” takes about two hours and is quite comfortable for most patients. During this time, patients can rest or sleep, watch television or listen to music. During certain portions of the treatment, patients may experience some fullness or a popping sensation in the ears similar to what is felt while flying in a plane or driving in the mountains, but the HBO₂ technician will teach you how to clear your ears to relieve this sensation.

HBO₂ therapy is provided once daily for several weeks throughout your treatment plan. For HBO₂ therapy to be effective, it must be provided consistently. HBO₂ treatments are much like antibiotic treatments because it only works when taken regularly for the time prescribed by your wound care provider.

We understand that coming to the HBO₂ unit each day is a commitment; however, to obtain the greatest benefit from HBO₂ therapy, we strongly advise coming to every scheduled appointment.

Following your treatment plan is the single most important factor in your healing. Please don’t hesitate to contact your care team if you have any questions about your HBO₂ therapy treatment plan. We are happy to clarify anything you feel uncertain about regarding the HBO₂ therapy treatment process.