For most people, wound healing is a natural, uneventful process. But for some individuals, it becomes a complex medical problem requiring specialized care and treatment.

Failure to successfully resolve acute and chronic non-healing wounds represents a multi-billion dollar national health care expenditure each year. In addition to the economic costs, the personal tragedies have resulted in the development of specialized centers for managing and resolving challenging medical problems.

If a wound has not improved significantly in four weeks, or if it has not completed the healing process in eight weeks, it is considered a chronic, non-healing wound. Consult your primary physician immediately, who then may refer you to our Wound Healing Center.

Citizens Wound Healing Center has made a major commitment to this specialized area of medical care. Under the medical direction of Bruce E. Wheeler, M. D., with the assistance of Cheryl Campbell, RN, Family Nurse Practitioner, Wound Care Nurse, the Center has a staff ready to treat problem wounds with the latest modalities in wound care including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Since problem wounds are often associated with other underlying medical conditions, the Wound Healing Center is specifically designed to integrate wound care with ongoing health care.

Problem wounds can create a complex set of challenges. The Wound Healing Center provides a full range of services for effective wound treatment and associated medical conditions. The Center provides an extensive assessment of the wound as well as the patient’s health factors that may be affecting the wound healing process. In addition, the Center develops individualized treatment plans, coordinates care, and provides patients and caregivers with education on wound care at home and lifestyle adjustments to facilitate the healing process.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also is offered at the Wound Healing Center and is indicated for certain types of wounds. The Center is equipped with two pressurized chambers that provide 100% oxygen to patients. Breathing pure oxygen under pressure increases the level of oxygen in the bloodstream to promote wound healing by stimulating new vascular growth and facilitating the “normal” wound healing process in compromised patients. It also aids in the preservation of damaged tissues by increased oxygen delivery to injured tissue.

If hyperbaric oxygen therapy is indicated, treatments are individualized to each patient, and some cases healing may require 20-30 treatments. Your hyperbaric medicine team will discuss with you the specific preparations required before your treatment.

What are Comprehensive Wound Healing Centers?
Using the most advanced techniques, products, and services, comprehensive wound healing centers provide a full range of wound treatments. A team of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers, specializing in wound care, provide the best care possible in an outpatient treatment setting.

Why is a special center for treating wounds necessary?
The Wound Healing Center is designed to fulfill the needs of patients who require specialized and aggressive care for their wounds. In traditional medical settings, many patients may not receive the interdisciplinary attention that these wounds require. For these people, minor lesions can, unfortunately, lead to chronic, non-healing wounds with serious infection, gangrene, and possible amputation.

How many people have chronic, non-healing wounds?
It is estimated that nearly 5 million Americans suffer from chronic wounds.

What guidelines define a chronic, non-healing wound?
If a wound has not improved significantly in four weeks, or if it has not completed the healing process in eight weeks, it is considered a chronic, non-healing wound.

What are the causes of these wounds?
Diabetes, immobilization, and circulatory problems contribute to the majority of chronic, non-healing wounds. Approximately 1.5 million people with non-healing wounds have diabetes. Another 2.5 million patients have pressure ulcers. This is a common side effect of spinal cord injury, arthritis, and other conditions that require a patient to be bedridden (immobilization). Persons suffering from venous insufficiency (circulatory problems) account for another one-half million patients. The rest have wounds that result from traumatic injury, non-healing surgical incisions, and a variety of other diseases.

How do I seek treatment?
If you are suffering from a non-healing wound, approach your doctor about other options you may have to speed-up the healing process.

HYPERBARIC OXYGEN (HBO2) TREATMENT
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) usually triggers curiosity and some common sense questions. Here are the most frequently asked questions and answers in a layman’s language.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) treatment?
Initially used to treat underwater divers with the bends, HBO2 has been proven effective in treating certain types of non-healing wounds. It does not replace other reliable treatments such as surgery and medication but is generally prescribed in conjunction with other treatments.

What are the treatments like?
HBO2 treatments include three phases: compression, prescribed time at pressure, and decompression.

Compression: After the doors are closed, you can hear the compressing gas circulate. You can feel a “fullness” in your ears like flying or mountain driving. The attendant communicates with you, and the speed of compression is adjusted to your comfort level.

Treatment: Treatment begins when the pressure reaches the prescribed level. During the treatment you may rest, sleep, listen to music, or watch television.

Decompression: The attendant lets you know when the treatment is complete. The pressure is lowered slowly, again, at the rate comfortable to your ears.

How does it work?
Normally, the air we breathe is 21% oxygen. During HBO2, you will breathe pure oxygen (100%), and the pressure surrounding your body will be slowly increased to two or three times normal. The increased oxygen you breathe will also increase the oxygen your blood carries to body tissues. This abundance of oxygen in your tissues enhances the repair of tissue damage.

Are there any side effects or after effects?
The most common side effect is a “fullness” or popping sensation in your ears, which lasts only briefly. As with most medical treatments, there may also be other effects. Such other effects are rare, and a staff member will discuss them with you in detail before treatment.

For questions or additional information regarding the Wound Healing Center call (361)574-1509.

Far Left: Patient going into chamber.
Left: Patient inside hyperbaric chamber.