Wound Care

If you have a sore or wound that hasn't healed in 30 days, you should see a wound care specialist. The wound care team at PeaceHealth offers advanced care for a full range of nonhealing wounds. Your team works closely with your primary care doctor and other specialists as needed to form a treatment plan to fit your needs.

You’ll get care from doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other caregivers who are trained in wound care and experts in wound healing. Your care team draws from advanced wound-healing methods to design your treatment plan, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Your doctor may refer you to wound care, but you don’t need a referral to make an appointment.

Wounds

PeaceHealth offers expert treatment for a wide range of nonhealing wounds. You can get expert care for: 

  • Arterial and venous ulcers (deep sores) caused by lack of blood flow to arteries and veins, often due to diabetes, peripheral artery disease and kidney problems
  • Burns caused by heat or chemicals
  • Cuts and skin tears
  • Diabetic foot and leg ulcers
  • Gangrene (tissue death)
  • Infected sores
  • Internal wounds caused by surgery, radiation therapy or other treatments
  • Insect bites
  • Lymphedema, swelling of the arms and legs, which often occurs after cancer treatment
  • Surgical wounds, including skin grafts, nonhealing surgical cuts and reopened cuts
  • Pressure ulcers or sores that form because the body has been in the same position for too long
  • Traumatic injuries caused from accidents

Wound care services at PeaceHealth

At PeaceHealth, you can count on complete care from wound care specialists.

Wound-healing results

The wound care team at PeaceHealth can boost healing in wounds that haven’t responded to traditional treatments. Most patients see improvement in a few weeks, and 89 percent of wounds are healed in 16 weeks.

Seamless, integrated care

Wound care specialists at PeaceHealth work together with primary care doctors, dermatologists, endocrinologists, vascular specialists, surgeons, dietitians and physical therapists to give you comprehensive wound care.

Advanced wound-healing therapies

PeaceHealth offers a full range of advanced wound-healing therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and PRP. You’ll get a treatment plan designed to help you heal as quickly as possible.

Support for healing

Your care team makes sure you have the information you need to take care of your wound and to recover. They will provide support, answer your questions and offer expert advice along the way.

Treatments Provided

Evaluation and consultation

During your initial visit, your doctor will work with you to assess your condition. He or she may see problems that could limit your independence. These may include memory loss, medicine interactions, balance, mental health and sleep status.

Physical therapy and rehabilitation

If you have osteoporosis, you may work with a physical therapist to help strengthen your bones with weight-bearing exercises. Your therapist will also help you improve muscle strength, balance and flexibility to prevent falls.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Tissue needs oxygen to function. When you have an injury, your tissue will need even more oxygen than normal to heal. Diabetes, heart and vascular problems, peripheral artery disease and other conditions slow blood flow, making it harder for your body to recover.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a painless, noninvasive treatment that delivers 100 percent oxygen at a higher-than-normal pressure. This raises the oxygen in your blood, which helps:

  • Form new blood vessels, connective tissue and skin
  • Improve circulation
  • Boost immune system to better fight infection

What to expect

The hyperbaric medicine specialists at PeaceHealth will meet with you to go over your health history and find out if hyperbaric oxygen therapy is right for you.

You’ll lie down in a hyperbaric chamber, where the pressure will rise slowly to let your body adjust to it. At first, you may feel more pressure in your ears, similar to being in an airplane when it’s landing. You’ll stay in the chamber and breathe normally for about two hours. During this time, you can watch a movie, listen to music or just rest.

The chamber has a clear hood so you’ll be able to see outside. A trained hyperbaric technologist will keep a close eye on you during your therapy and stay in contact with you through an intercom located inside the chamber.

After treatment, you’ll be able to return to your regular daily activities right away. You’ll most likely need more than one treatment — the number of treatments depends on your condition. Treatment for a nonhealing wound may need up to 60 treatments, with several treatments each week.