Jeffrey A. Stone, D.O., MPH, FCCWS John Touhey, M.D., MPH Laurie Aten M.D., MPH Rodney Lindsay M.D.

 

Our physicians are dedicated to caring for people with wounds that have resisted healing. Through their relationship with our wound centers we have established an impressive record in healing these acute and chronic ulcers. The wound program stresses the basics of common sense medical and surgical care combined with the most advanced wound care technologies, (hyperbaric medicine, growth factors, bioengineered tissue and advanced dressing materials).

Most of us take our body’s ability to heal for granted. In fact, the healing process is quite complex. During normal healing, cells proliferate and divide, releasing growth factors. New blood vessels are created, a collagen matrix is formed, and remodeling occurs. These steps follow an orderly, predictable course. Each step depends upon the availability of appropriate substrates and nutritional elements. For some patients, certain conditions alter this course and derail the healing process. When this happens, destructive processes can outpace healing, and the wound can become chronic.
There are about sixteen million diabetics in the U.S., including about one million in Texas, and the number of individuals affected  grows each year. Diabetes causes microangiopathic changes in the eye and kidney. These changes also occur in the foot, a common site for non-healing wounds. This year, more than 86,000 diabetic patients will undergo surgical amputation as a result of a non-healing wound. These amputees face a long, costly rehabilitation, and permanently reduced mobility and independence.
Other conditions can also lead to the development of non-healing wounds, including peripheral vascular disease, arterial or venous ulcers, traumatic injury, complications following surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure, lymphedema and other conditions which compromise circulation. In addition to local factors such as pressure, infection or edema, systemic problems can also impair normal healing. Patients who are immunocompromised because of collagen vascular disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes mellitus are at risk. Certain medications can suppress the healing response. Inadequate large-vessel perfusion and oxygenation can impede healing by reducing the oxygen supply to the damaged tissue. (For this reason, smoking cessation in affected patients is critically important.)

Dr. Stone’s group recently completed a retrospective, random review in which 147 patients in 10 nursing homes were followed for two and a half years. “Our goal was to raise the bar on wound care by providing additional education and assistance to the nursing staff who provide patient care Most study patients (47%) had Stage 2 wounds, while 22 percent had Stage 3 and 25 percent had Stage 4 wounds. Patients were treated for an average of 60 days. A fourth of the patients studied received conservative care consisting of palliative care and minimal debridement, while 66 percent received moderate/aggressive care. Interventions included offloading, adjunctive anabolic therapy, and debridement and special wound dressings. Nutritional support and education played significant roles. Of the patients studied, 78 percent improved or healed.”

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Wound Care Consultants now has 4 locations to better serve you!

Our newest center, The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine, has opened in Denton, Texas.

Find out more information on our centers here.

Find out more information on hyperbaric medicine.

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Our Practice Administrator for Wound Consultants is Mary Walraven. She is available to answer any administrative questions. Her phone number is 214-540-1821

Read about . . .	News...
High-Tech Advances in Wound Care Yield New Promise from M.D. News - Dallas by Tina Cauller Dr. Jeffrey Stone: Leading the Field in Hyperbaric Therapy from Wounds 1 by Erin K. Blakeley Career Opportunities . . . Physician	Read about the latest advances in hyperbaric medicine in Hyperbaric Medicine Today.

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