Wound healing

Arterial ulcers or sores usually occur on the legs or feet. They are often painful and are associated with a limb that may be cool to the touch due to poor circulation. The ulcer may be yellow, black or gray in color. The goal of treatment for an arterial ulcer is to increase blood flow in the limb, usually by a vascular procedure. This will be evaluated on your first visit at the wound clinic.

Venous ulcers are skin ulcers or sores that typically occur on the legs. They can be accompanied by leg swelling, varicose veins and thickened skin. These ulcers may require medications or other treatments to take care of underlying vein issues. Tests may help determine what treatments are required. If you need further testing, we offer this service within the wound clinic so you don’t have to travel elsewhere. Compression therapy of the legs usually helps significantly to heal these wounds and may be part of your treatment plan.

Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and tissue from prolonged pressure on the skin. These wounds are often seen on the heels, ankles, hips, elbows, back of the head and tailbones. These ulcers are common in people who have limited mobility or are bedridden. We correct what may have caused the pressure-related injury and also address other components of wound healing, such as a healthy diet and change of body positioning, to help prevent these types of wounds in the future.

Most surgical wounds heal without any problems, but sometimes a surgical site may not heal well in a normal time frame. There can be a number of different reasons for this, which will be addressed during your initial visit with our program.

Traumatic wounds such as a deep cut (laceration) and skin tears are a common problem, especially as we age. Typically these wounds heal with basic care you may have received from an emergency room, urgent care or your primary care doctor. If the wound does not seem to be healing with standard care, it may be beneficial for you to come to the wound clinic so we may correct any other issues that could delay your wound healing.

There are a number of different conditions and medical treatments that can cause wounds, such as inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), chemotherapy, radiation, and bacterial or fungal infections. If you have a wound from an unknown cause, it may require a more thorough workup, including blood and imaging tests, and skin testing (biopsy or tissue culture). We address all different types of wounds at the wound clinic. If there is not a clear source for your wound, we have all the diagnostic capabilities available to figure out the source and help heal you faster.

Cellutome™ uses heat and a slight vacuum pressure to collect a very thin layer of tissue, with the use of pressure that is monitored by our staff. After the tissue is collected, an adhesive dressing is placed on top of the collection site, and the harvested skin is then removed. The donor site is covered with appropriate dressings and the patient will return for a checkup in a week.

EpiFix® is a human amniotic membrane that contains powerful agents that help your body produce signals to cells to travel to the wound and regenerate damaged tissue. To use EpiFix, your doctor will remove dead tissue from your wound to help allow your cells to travel to the area and make contact with the EpiFix graft. Your doctor will then place the graft on the wound and then bandage the area to keep things moist and secure.

Wound VAC is a negative pressure therapy device that can be used for difficult-to-treat or deep wounds. This device uses a foam bandage that is placed in the wound and secured with clear tape. A vacuum device is then placed over the foam and negative suction is used to help close the wound as well as remove any debris or drainage within it.