Procedures
Wound Care
A wound that has not closed in a month will not close on its own. Waiting longer makes it harder to fix.
Four weeks is the number to remember. A wound still open after four weeks has stopped healing normally, and time is now working against you. Every additional month raises the risk of infection, of bone involvement, and in the worst cases of amputation.
We treat diabetic foot ulcers, pressure injuries, ulcers caused by poor circulation or by veins that are not returning blood properly, surgical incisions that have opened, and traumatic wounds that are going the wrong direction.
Treatment usually means cleaning away dead tissue, dressings chosen for the specific wound rather than whatever is in the cupboard, compression when the problem is venous, and taking pressure off the area, which is the single most important and most ignored part.
The dressing is the smaller half of the job. Chronic wounds are nearly always a symptom: blood sugar that has been high for years, circulation that is failing, nutrition that is inadequate, or a bed and chair setup that is putting pressure on the same spot every day. We work with your primary care provider, our dietitian, and the nursing staff at long term care on the cause, because a wound treated without addressing why it appeared will simply come back.
If you have diabetes, look at your feet. Every day, including the bottoms, with a mirror if you need one. Bring anything new to us in days rather than months.