Wound Healing Center: Improving quality of life
Tim Hughes, of Millersburg, credits Wooster Community Hospital’s Wound Healing Center with getting him back to a normal life after he had two toes amputated due to infection. “The staff was very motivating and encouraging,” said Hughes, who underwent daily treatments in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for about three months. “It was a big commitment, but worth it. I’m very grateful, and I highly recommend the Wound Healing Center to anyone with a wound that won’t heal.”
As an outpatient service of the hospital, the Wound Healing Center provides treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, pressure ulcers, skin tears, post surgical incisions, radiation wounds, burns, traumatic injuries and any other wound that has not shown signs of improvement.
“Our goal is to heal wounds in 16 weeks,” said Monique Arsenault, administrative manager. “We’ve had great success, even healing one patient’s 59-year-old war wound. Sometimes wounds have been with the person for a long time—it really inhibits them.”
“We are improving quality of life for many of our patients,” added Angie Howard, RN, clinical manager.
The Wound Healing Center opened in 2002. Its eight physicians represent a range of specialties including vascular surgery, internal medicine, podiatry, plastic surgery and family medicine. Registered nurses case-manage with the physicians. All medical staff receives special training at Ohio State University’s wound training center.
Patients who contact the Wound Healing Center are scheduled for an initial appointment with a physician who then creates a treatment plan. The plan usually includes weekly visits and a wound healing pathway consisting of special dressings, antibiotics, wound debridement, and even surgery if necessary. “The pathways are evidence-based—it’s been proven that they work,” said Arsenault. “We follow all the research.”
In some cases, the treatment plan will include hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in one of the Wound Healing Center’s two hyperbaric oxygen chambers. The chambers deliver 100 percent pure oxygen under pressure to promote wound healing by oxygenating the blood. The pressure is the equivalent of two to two-and-a-half atmospheres, or 33-50 feet below sea level. HBO technician Mary Stoll said the center’s equipment is the largest in Ohio, and can handle up to 700 pounds.
A session in the chamber is referred to as a dive, Stoll said. Diving is painless, but the pressurized oxygen causes a little pressure in the ears, much like when an airplane takes off. Although patients are completely enclosed in the chamber, most have no problem with confinement issues because the tube is clear, she said.
“We do a lot of teaching ahead of time,” said Arsenault. “We can prescribe something if needed, but find that people are usually comfortable, especially after the first few times. They have a phone to communicate with the nurse, and the HBO technician is always in there.”
Patients lie in the chamber for 2 1/2 hours, five days a week over their course of treatment. “It’s a serious time commitment on the patient’s part,” said Howard. Televisions and radios are provided to help pass the time.
Fourteen different diagnoses currently qualify for HBO therapy, including diabetic foot ulcers, ulcers of the lower extremities, acute peripheral arterial insufficiency, compromised skin grafts, osteoradionecrosis, crush injuries and gas gangrene, among others. “In time, I believe HBO will be used for more and more things,” Stoll said. “Researchers have been studying its benefits for a number of other conditions.”
Osteomyelitis, or bone infection, is one of the most common wounds seen at the center, often resulting from diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. Pressure wounds are another common problem, especially when a patient spends large amounts of time in a bed or wheelchair. Radiation used in cancer treatment can cause internal wounds that may also benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Howard recommends that people seek treatment for any wound that hasn’t healed; an infected surgical wound; or a sore with increasing pain, redness or swelling, foul odor, or change in color.
“One great thing about the Wound Healing Center is that you can refer yourself—you don’t need a physician’s order or have to see a doctor before you come here,” said Arsenault. The center serves a large radius, with patients coming from as far away as Ashland, Millersburg and Medina. Wooster Community Hospital provides free transportation when needed.
For more information on the Wound Healing Center, call 330-263-8750 or visit their website at http://www.woosterhospital.org/pages/hospitalservices/WoundHealing.aspx.
This article was underwritten by Wooster Community Hospital.
As an outpatient service of the hospital, the Wound Healing Center provides treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, pressure ulcers, skin tears, post surgical incisions, radiation wounds, burns, traumatic injuries and any other wound that has not shown signs of improvement.
“Our goal is to heal wounds in 16 weeks,” said Monique Arsenault, administrative manager. “We’ve had great success, even healing one patient’s 59-year-old war wound. Sometimes wounds have been with the person for a long time—it really inhibits them.”
“We are improving quality of life for many of our patients,” added Angie Howard, RN, clinical manager.
The Wound Healing Center opened in 2002. Its eight physicians represent a range of specialties including vascular surgery, internal medicine, podiatry, plastic surgery and family medicine. Registered nurses case-manage with the physicians. All medical staff receives special training at Ohio State University’s wound training center.
Patients who contact the Wound Healing Center are scheduled for an initial appointment with a physician who then creates a treatment plan. The plan usually includes weekly visits and a wound healing pathway consisting of special dressings, antibiotics, wound debridement, and even surgery if necessary. “The pathways are evidence-based—it’s been proven that they work,” said Arsenault. “We follow all the research.”
In some cases, the treatment plan will include hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in one of the Wound Healing Center’s two hyperbaric oxygen chambers. The chambers deliver 100 percent pure oxygen under pressure to promote wound healing by oxygenating the blood. The pressure is the equivalent of two to two-and-a-half atmospheres, or 33-50 feet below sea level. HBO technician Mary Stoll said the center’s equipment is the largest in Ohio, and can handle up to 700 pounds.
A session in the chamber is referred to as a dive, Stoll said. Diving is painless, but the pressurized oxygen causes a little pressure in the ears, much like when an airplane takes off. Although patients are completely enclosed in the chamber, most have no problem with confinement issues because the tube is clear, she said.
“We do a lot of teaching ahead of time,” said Arsenault. “We can prescribe something if needed, but find that people are usually comfortable, especially after the first few times. They have a phone to communicate with the nurse, and the HBO technician is always in there.”
Patients lie in the chamber for 2 1/2 hours, five days a week over their course of treatment. “It’s a serious time commitment on the patient’s part,” said Howard. Televisions and radios are provided to help pass the time.
Fourteen different diagnoses currently qualify for HBO therapy, including diabetic foot ulcers, ulcers of the lower extremities, acute peripheral arterial insufficiency, compromised skin grafts, osteoradionecrosis, crush injuries and gas gangrene, among others. “In time, I believe HBO will be used for more and more things,” Stoll said. “Researchers have been studying its benefits for a number of other conditions.”
Osteomyelitis, or bone infection, is one of the most common wounds seen at the center, often resulting from diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. Pressure wounds are another common problem, especially when a patient spends large amounts of time in a bed or wheelchair. Radiation used in cancer treatment can cause internal wounds that may also benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Howard recommends that people seek treatment for any wound that hasn’t healed; an infected surgical wound; or a sore with increasing pain, redness or swelling, foul odor, or change in color.
“One great thing about the Wound Healing Center is that you can refer yourself—you don’t need a physician’s order or have to see a doctor before you come here,” said Arsenault. The center serves a large radius, with patients coming from as far away as Ashland, Millersburg and Medina. Wooster Community Hospital provides free transportation when needed.
For more information on the Wound Healing Center, call 330-263-8750 or visit their website at http://www.woosterhospital.org/pages/hospitalservices/WoundHealing.aspx.
This article was underwritten by Wooster Community Hospital.
Published: September 9, 2011
