According to Dr. Stone, the science of wound healing has become much more evidenced based. Twenty years ago, hydrogen peroxide and betadine were standard treatments. The science of wound healing has now moved from the passive stage of wound healing to the active stage of wound healing.
“And, with the science of wound healing,” explains Dr. Stone, “there are certain biochemical processes that occur that allow us to expedite and enhance healing, especially with patients that are medically compromised hosts.”
During normal healing, an orderly, predictable course of biological processes occurs with each step
dependent on the availability of appropriate substrates and nutritional elements. Cells proliferate and divide releasing growth factors, new blood vessels are created, a collagen matrix is formed and remodeling occurs. However, with some patients, things happen within the body to alter this course and the whole process is derailed. When this happens, destructive processes can overtake the healing process and a wound can become chronic. This is where the experience of a wound care specialist is critical.
“Wound Care Consultants is 100% dedicated to wound care and treatment,” says Dr. Stone. “It is all that we do.”
This total focus on wound care has allowed them to be involved in reviewing new products as they become available and participate in clinical trials that have led to advanced wound care technologies including growth factors, bioengineered tissue and advanced dressing materials. The use of growth factors, which are chemicals that can enhance wound healing, has proven to be highly successful on many of their patients. These growth factors can be applied directly to the wound, used in certain types of dressings that help block some of the bad chemical processes that are going on or be included as a large group in bioengineered tissue that is used to promote healing. Wound Care Consultants’ experience with these new technologies has been instrumental in reaching healing rates of 85-90%.
“The science has significantly improved, and again, it gets back to evidence based medicine that allows us to know the combinations of things to do to make wounds heal,’ says Dr. Stone.