Wound Care and Limb Preservation

Turn to Spectrum Health for help healing stubborn wounds. Timely care from experts can help prevent infections and other complications—and improve your quality of life.

Seek care from a wound specialist if you have a cut, scrape or sore that hasn’t healed within 30 days.

Access healing care for all types of wounds, including: 

• Burns 
• Deep cuts or skin tears 
• Open sores, including arterial ulcers and venous ulcers 
• Pressure ulcers (bedsores) 
• Radiation injuries 
• Surgical incisions

Your care team will start by learning about your wound and what caused it. Your doctor may recommend:

• Blood tests 
• Imaging tests, including specialized imaging that shows the oxygen level in your tissues 
• Wound culture to determine what’s causing an infection

Spectrum Health offers a wide range of advanced treatments. Work with your doctor to create a wound healing plan that’s right for you. Depending on your needs, your plan may include: 

• Compression stockings – Improve blood flow and reduce swelling 
• Debridement– Removes unhealthy tissue to encourage healing 
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) – Uses 100% oxygen to speed healing 
• Medications – Promote healing or relieve pain 
• Negative pressure wound therapy – Uses suction to gently remove fluid from your wound and help it close 
• Nutrition counseling – Teaches you which foods support healing 
• Orthotics – Relieve pressure on your feet to improve healing and comfort 
• Skin graft procedures – Replace lost or damaged skin with synthetic skin or healthy skin from another part of your body 
• Tobacco cessation – Helps you quit smoking to improve your body’s ability to heal 
• Wound dressings – Protect your injury and promotes healing