What to Expect
What is specialized wound care?
If your wounds persist, you may need a specialized, comprehensive approach to healing. Your wound care team will utilize a variety of advanced wound care treatments, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, debridement, topical wound therapy, growth-factor therapy, tissue therapy, dressing selection, special shoes and patient education to help you on your path to healing.
Over the course of your treatment, you will regularly visit our Wound Healing Center for specialized treatments. Meanwhile, we’ll document your progress. We’ll also explain how to do your own wound care at home between visits, and how to protect your wound from further injury.
We can’t emphasize enough that you are the important part of your healing process. Keeping your appointments and following directions are critical for a positive outcome.
Your Care Team
Your wound care team will be made up of several wound healing experts, all committed to working together to help you heal. These experts include:
- Physicians with advanced training in wound management and hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Nurses trained in the latest evidence-based treatments for wound care
- Technicians who perform non-invasive studies and various therapies
- Allied health professionals to support appointment scheduling, medical records management and health insurance processing
What should I expect from my first appointment?
During your first appointment, we’ll complete a thorough examination to determine your current health status, the type of wound you have and possible causes.
We’ll also document the size and status of your wound, so we have a starting point to track your progress and plan any diagnostic testing you might need. Tests might include:
- Laboratory evaluation
- Radiology (including MRI)
- Transcutaneous oxygen testing
- Vascular studies, electrocardiogram
- Ultrasound
Your care team will use your test results to create a treatment plan customized to your unique needs.
You’ll undergo your wound healing treatment at our Wound Healing Center. We recommend planning two-and-a-half to three hours for each visit based upon your customized plan.
How should I prepare for treatment?
After your initial consultation and examination at the Center, we’ll provide you complete instructions for your treatment. It is important that you refrain from smoking or using any tobacco products over the course of your treatment plan. Tobacco use can prevent you from healing, or slow down the process, due to its effect on your body’s blood vessels.
Can I be treated if I’m sick or on medication?
If you have a cold or cough, the flu, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, please let your care team know before your treatment begins. We also need to know any medications you are taking or changes in medication over the course of your treatment.
If you are diabetic, please eat properly and continue to take your prescribed medication to control your blood sugar level. Your care team will also check your blood sugar level during each visit.
