Hunterdon Wound Healing Center
Hunterdon Wound Healing Center offers the community state-of-the-art specialized wound healing care. There is no longer any reason to live with an open sore.
Every wound has its unique set of circumstances. Hunterdon Wound Healing Center is equipped and staffed to address them all. We are experts at caring for people whose open sores have resisted traditional treatment. We have a high success rate in a short amount of time.
We offer:
- Care for Diabetics: With diabetes on the rise, the need for a specialized care center arose as well. In fact, the increased number of diabetics in the area was a key reason for opening the Wound Healing Center.
- Wound Healing Partners: To establish the Wound Healing Center, Hunterdon Medical Center partnered with Florida-based National Healing Corp., which manages wound healing centers nationwide with an average healing rate of 84%, and an average heal time of seven weeks.
- An Alternative to Amputation: The Wound Healing Center treats patients with chronic and advanced conditions that have not responded to previous therapies. The rate of limb amputation for non-responsive wounds is less than 2%.
- Expert Staff and Specialists: Our center is staffed with a unique team of doctors, nurses and therapists all dedicated to healing chronic wounds. They include:
- dedicated physicians who specialize in wound healing care
- a team of nurse specialists skilled in the latest therapeutic methods that cure non-healing wounds
- hyperbaric technicians who will be at your side during the entire treatment that brings 100% oxygen throughout your entire body to promote healing (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy)
The causes of open sores are complex, and our group represents expertise in all of the major areas necessary to handle various circumstances and challenges. It could be as simple as changing a medication or more complex. Whatever it takes for healing to occur, we are equipped and staffed to make it happen. The physicians on the wound healing staff each specialize in different areas of care, to give you the exact treatment you need. All of the physicians have been through a National Training program in advanced techniques in wound healing and hyperbaric medicine held at Ohio State University.
How do I know if I should seek wound-healing treatment?
Likely candidates for treatment include those experiencing:
- diabetic ulcers
- pressure ulcers
- infections
- compromised skin grafts and flaps
- wounds that haven’t healed within 30 days
- non-healing surgical wounds
The center’s hyperbaric oxygen chambers can also be used to treat patients suffering from such uncommon ailments as:
- late effects of radiation, such as
- radiation proctitis
- radiation cystitis
- osteoradionecrosis
- diabetic foot ulcers
- failed flaps and grafts
- osteomyelitis
- cyanide poisoning
- gangrene
- carbon monoxide poisoning
- brown recluse spider bites
- the “bends” or decompression sickness
Hunterdon Wound Healing Center provides the following services:
- Diagnostic tests to evaluate blood flow and tissue oxygenation and determine whether or not the wound is infected
- Removal of dead tissue from wounds using debridement (a process performed using a simple local anesthetic) in order to reveal good tissue and expedite healing
- Detailed instruction on how to monitor wounds and change dressings
- Initial evaluation, where we check blood pressure and refer to the Registered Dieticians at Hunterdon Medical Center for counseling and education
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a highly specialized treatment that is proven to accelerate the healing of wounds, particularly diabetic foot wounds
Hunterdon Wound Healing Center’s doctors and clinical staff are skilled in the latest therapeutic methods in wound management and stay abreast of cutting-edge procedures through continuous training. Patients are treated with state-of-the-art technology, from having their progress charted through digital photographs to, in some cases, being treated in one of our two hyperbaric oxygen chambers.
Seeking treatment is the first step to healing your wound. Generally, the physician treating your wound will refer you to the Wound Healing Center. Or, depending on your insurance, you can make your appointment directly.
What do I bring to my first wound treatment appointment?
- a list of any medications you are currently taking as well as a list of any known allergies
- medical records, including X-rays if you have them
- insurance forms or cards
What happens during the wound-healing process?
When you call for your first appointment, we will ask you a few questions about your wound and health in general. Our team of doctors, nurses, and therapists will thoroughly evaluate your wound and review your health and medical history.
We will perform diagnostic tests to evaluate your blood flow and tissue oxygenation as well as to determine if there is any infection present.
Together with your physician, we will develop a treatment program based on our assessment of your personalized needs. We offer vascular studies; tissue culturing and pathology; revascularization; skin grafting; clinical and surgical debridement; and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Your program will likely involve regular visits to the Wound Healing Center where your progress is meticulously documented and adjusted as necessary.
We are in constant communication with your personal physician throughout your care. Once your wound is healed, you’ll return to your physician for follow-up care. And of course, you’ll continue seeing your physician for any related ailments such as diabetes and hypertension.
How long will my wound take to heal?
Our results are impressive, with most chronic wounds improved within 12 to 16 weeks, which is far above average in comparison to wounds not treated in a wound healing center.
We monitor your healing rates weekly and your physician and nursing staff regularly conduct patient reviews. We provide progress reports to both primary and referring physicians to show healing rates and ensure your complete care.
How do I continue healing at home?
Much of the success of your wound healing treatment depends on you. We’ll count on you to follow directions carefully and watch your progress closely. You’ll learn about caring for your wound at home, including how to change dressings and how to protect yourself from further injuries. We’re always here to answer questions and give you the support you need to heal.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
One of the highly specialized treatments offered at the Hunterdon Wound Healing Center is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding you with 100-percent oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. This increases the amount of oxygen in your blood and, in the case of wounds, allows red blood cells to pass more easily through the plasma into the wound to heal it from the inside out. Diabetic foot wounds are an excellent example of wound types that may benefit most from this type of treatment.
How does it work?
While you relax on a bed encased within a large see-through plastic shell, you can watch your favorite television shows or movies on televisions mounted above the chamber while hearing the sound and conversing with others outside the chamber through a speaker system.
How does it feel?
The only physical sensation resulting from the treatment is a slight pressure on the eardrum, such as that felt when a plane lands, as the air in the chamber is compressed.
