Wound Care Center at Corona Regional Medical Center

New Center Offers Relief from Chronic Wounds

When you or a loved one suffers from a wound or ulcer that hasn't healed in weeks, the new Wound Care Center® at Corona Regional Medical Center (CRMC) can help.

The Center, which opened in October 2007, provides therapeutic treatments to help promote healing and prevent the consequences of a slow-healing wound, such as bone infection and subsequent limb amputation.

Think limb amputation can't happen to you?  Think again.  The National Limb Loss Information Center indicates that one in 200 people in the United States has undergone limb amputation.

"People with chronic vascular conditions or diseases like diabetes that inhibit circulation are most at risk for chronic wounds, infections and other serious complications that can lead to amputations," says Michael Chin, MD, FACS, board-certified general surgeon at the Center.

Path Toward Healing

At the Center, wound care specialists help stimulate the body's restorative properties by removing dead tissue and then sterilizing and dressing wounds.

"Most patients we treat are people with diabetes who have lower-extremity wounds, such as pressure ulcers in their feet or ankles," says Robert Parker, DPM, podiatrist at CRMC.

Treatment begins with painless removal of the dead tissue.  Callous skin is excised manually or dissolved with enzyme treatments.  Depending on the presence of infection, topical or intravenous antibiotics are delivered to the wound site.  Some wounds can be closed with cultured skin grafts.

Advanced Therapy

A patient with a lack of oxygen or blood flow to a limb, a condition known as ischemia, may be a candidate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).  This type of treatment delivers pressurized oxygen to the wound site to help speed the healing process.

"During HBOT, oxygen is delivered at 2.5 to 3 times atmospheric pressure, stimulating new blood vessel and cell growth to promote quick healing," Dr. Chin says.

A typical course of HBOT lasts up to six weeks, with 20 to 30 daily "doses" of treatment.  During therapy, patients rest comfortably in a hyperbaric chamber, where they may read, relax or watch television.

Nurses or case managers assist patients and their family members with arrangements for transportation, home healthcare, durable medical equipment and other services.  Some patients may be outfitted with off-loading devices, such as surgical boots and casts that relieve wound-site pressure to speed healing.

Learn more about wound care services at CRMC by calling 951-737-4343.