Chronic or non-healing wounds are defined as sores that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments. Associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins, and immobility, non-healing wounds lead to lower quality of life and may lead to amputations. When wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for healing.
That's where the Wound Healing Center at UPMC Lititz can help. Treatments available include debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing selection, special shoes, and patient education, as well as exceptional healing results and clinical outcomes. The Wound Healing Center has a healing rate of 95 percent compared to the national average of 92 percent.
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is used as an adjunctive treatment for problematic, non-healing wounds that meet specific criteria; it is expected that 10 to 20 percent of the wound care cases will do so. Throughout HBOT treatments, the patients are monitored to see if the concentration of oxygen has increased in the blood near the wound. If the oxygen level is higher, the therapy is most likely beneficial to the patient.
During the treatments, the patient breathes 100 percent oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, quickly increasing the concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream, where it is delivered to a patient's wound site for faster healing. Essentially, HBOT therapy helps heal the wound from the inside out. This therapy can help reduce swelling, fight infection, and build new blood vessels, ultimately producing healthy tissue. It is also effective in fighting certain types of infections, improving circulation, in stimulating growth of new blood vessels, and in treating crush injuries, osteomyelitis, compromised skin grafts and flaps, brown recluse spider bites and diabetic wounds of the lower extremities.
If you suffer from a chronic or non-healing wound, speak ask your physician about a referral to our Wound Care Center, or contact us directly for an assessment. If you are a candidate for this outpatient program, the Wound Care Center will immediately work with you and your doctor to deliver the following:
You may call the Wound Care Center directly or be referred by your doctor. To make an appointment directly, call 717-299-3020.
Chronic and non-healing wounds can result from a number of factors, including diabetes, poor circulation, trauma, vascular disease, and immobility (which can lead to pressure ulcers, commonly known as "bed sores"). An estimated eight million Americans suffer from chronic wounds. Wounds come from a variety of different medical conditions, and they don't heal for many different reasons.
No. In fact, the Wound Care Center prefers to work with your physician or medical specialist during the treatments. We even keep your doctor informed with frequent progress reports. While you’ll be receiving treatment for your wound from the Wound Care Center, you’ll continue to receive all of your routine care from your primary physician.
Many health plans cover Wound Care Center treatments. Call us to determine what your specific plan covers.
The first appointment consists of an assessment by our skilled wound care team, a review of your medical history, blood tests, and recommendations for your treatment plan. Please be sure to bring to this appointment your medical records, insurance information, a list of current medications, and a list of your allergies. You should expect to spend several hours at the Center.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a safe and evidence-based treatment proven to speed the healing process in certain types of wounds. In fact, many patients find it relaxing! The clear chambers are equipped with televisions and comfortable bedding, so patients are free watch their favorite television shows or a movie, or even sleep. A typical course of treatment involves the patient spending about 90 minutes a day in the chamber five days per week over a four-to-six-week period.
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