Do You Have a Wound That Just Won't Heal?

February 01, 2017
Do You Have a Wound That Just Won't Heal?

Pressure sores, venous insufficiency, diabetes, radiation treatment and trauma can cause wounds that are difficult to heal. The Manatee Healthcare System offers two locations where skilled teams of specialists treat stubborn, chronic wounds with a healing rate of more than 95 percent. They are the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Treatment Program at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

EARLY TREATMENT IS THE KEY
Program Director Mario Garruto, LPN, at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center says early identification of a wound will improve the probability of effective and efficient wound healing. “Foot wounds in diabetics are the most common ailment,” he says. Certified Wound Care Specialist and Medical Director John Yee, MD, says if a patient with diabetes has a wound that has not improved in seven days, they need to have it evaluated. “Early treatment is the key to preventing amputation,” he says. “The goal is to provide advanced evidencebased wound care to every patient who would benefit, by the best means possible.”

Both hospitals follow the Healogics™ patented ninestep essential wound-healing protocol. “We embrace a standard of care that uses a multi-disciplinary approach and collaborate with appropriate specialists to ensure our patients get the best care,” says Maria Buete, MD, Medical Director for the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Treatment Program at Manatee Memorial Hospital. “We identify the etiology of the wound and initiate a comprehensive plan of care.”

AN HOLISTIC APPROACH
Program Director Sybil Spigner says they do not just treat the wound, they care for the whole individual. “When a patient comes to the center, we educate them to help them understand their condition to prevent further complications and wound recurrence,” she says.

The two facilities offer a wide variety of treatments including debridement, offloading or casting, negative pressure wound therapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. “Our goal is to have the wound completely healed,” says Dr. Yee. “The technology we have today is saving limbs and lives. Wounds that are infected can be healed without the need for amputation.” Dr. Buete agrees, and says, "Because we see patients weekly, they become like family. Knowing we can give them back their quality of life is very gratifying.”

For more information about The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, call 941-782-2830.

For more information about the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Treatment Program at Manatee Memorial Hospital, call 941-745-7251.