Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 03:55 PM

Excellent care and many advancements available for local wound treatment

Alabama’s Wound Care Awareness Week offers a chance to learn about local resources for this important healthcare topic.

Marshall Wound Healing Center is helping spread the word that there is help for slow-healing wounds. For the excellent care provided to patients suffering from chronic wounds, it was awarded a Center of Distinction in 2015 and a Center of Excellence in 2016 and 2017.

“We are dedicated to helping patients heal in order to have better quality of life,” said Sarah Smith, Director of Marshall Wound Healing Center .

Marshall Wound Healing Center is part of a network of specialties offered by Marshall Medical. Managed by Healogics, the center provides highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time. 

What is a non-healing wound? 

A non-healing or chronic wound is defined as a wound that does not improve after four weeks or does not heal in eight weeks. Non-healing wounds can occur for many reasons, including diabetes or other chronic disease, poor circulation, nutritional status, or age and body size. The Marshall Wound Healing Center’s team of physicians and certified clinical staff is committed to healing complicated wounds using state-of-the-art treatment options and advanced technologies, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO).

Individuals with diabetes are at especially high risk for chronic wounds, especially on the feet. Circulation issues and a decreased sense of feeling, known as neuropathy, can mask the presence of sores and ulcers. If you have diabetes, any sore or tender spot on the foot warrants immediate attention from a physician, regardless of how long the wound has been present. Left untreated, these wounds can lead to serious problems, including chronic infections, gangrene and amputations of toes or a limb.

Infection is the greatest risk from non-healing wounds. Everyone is exposed every day to common bacteria such as staphylococcus and pseudomonas. These bacteria are present on our skin and in the environment around us. They don't present a problem when we are healthy and wound free but an open wound increases the risk for infection, which can lead to serious conditions, including the loss of a limb.

Common places for non-healing wounds are feet, ankles, heels and calves. For people unable to walk, common places include hips, thighs and buttocks. 

Marshall Wound Healing Center offers treatments for many types of wounds, including:

• Diabetic Wounds
• Venous Wounds
• Arterial Wounds
• Pressure Ulcers
• Non-Healing Incisions
• Trauma Wounds
• Crush Injuries
• First & Second Degree Burns
• Gangrene
• General Problem Wounds
• Radionecrosis / Osteoradionecrosis

You hear about hyperbaric oxygen therapy - what is that?

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a highly effective, safe treatment during which 100 percent oxygen is inhaled by a patient for short periods of time in a pressurized chamber. HBO is not right for every situation, and its only one of many treatments and strategies offered by Marshall Wound Healing Center. Other advanced treatments include: 

• Sharp debridement
• negative pressure wound therapy
• bio-engineered skin substitutes 
• biological and biosynthetic dressings
• growth factor therapies 

On a first visit, the physician will do a wound evaluation and develop a treatment plan. Patients are normally seen once per week, and most wounds are healed within 16 weeks. Patient compliance is very important for healing. No physician referral is needed to visit the Wound Healing Center. Just call to make an appointment at (256) 894-6976. A free information kit and other resources are available at https://www.mmcenters.com/serv...