Comprehensive Approach
At the Center for Comprehensive Wound Care, we believe a comprehensive approach is the most effective plan for total wound care treatment. By having the center located in the heart of the Bowman Gray / Baptist Hospital Medical Center, a major medical center of the highest caliber and employing board-certified specialists, we are able to provide individualized care. Such care encompasses nutritional assessments, vascular MRI, hydrotherapy, pain control, and scanning laser Doppler imaging.
Vascular treatments performed at the Center not only include revascularization procedures, but also include the utilization of newly developed technology to increase vascular inflow. Using vascular MRI, surgeons can locate blockages without painful, invasive procedures. Technological improvements supply surgeons with different methods for opening blocked vessels, depending on the patient’s condition and needs. Such methods include endovascular dilatation, use of stents, and bypass grafting.
Scanning Laser Doppler imaging is used by our vascular lab to reveal specific regions within the foot where there is compromised blood flow. Any increase in pressure in these regions can result in localized ischemia leading to an ulcerated wound. This technology, has made it possible to custom-design orthotics for diabetic patients. We are one of only a handful of medical centers in the county with such capability.
Osteomyelitis is a major wound-healing problem. Our nuclear medicine and infectious disease specialists assess, respectively, the bones involved in infection and appropriate intravenous antibiotics in cases involving osteomyelitis. In addition, our surgeons have extensive experience in the management of osteomyelitis including complex reconstructive procedures.
Nutritional deficits affect a significant number of patients who have non-healing or chronic wounds. Dietary changes, and supplements recommended by experts at the multidisciplinary Center for Human Nutrition and Disease Prevention promote long-term healing of wounds and prevention of similar problems in the future.
Hydrotherapy is done through the use of pulsatile lavage to the wound in order to remove dead tissue, decrease the bacterial count, and promote healing.
Chronic pain affects many patients with wounds such as radiation ulcers, ischemic ulcers and amputations. Anesthesiologists in our Pain Control Center use advanced techniques, such as nerve blocks and nerve stimulators, as well as pharmacological therapies to achieve maximum pain reduction.