The First Appointment

Patients are mostly referred by their primary care physician, and the program operates by appointment. Upon referral to the Center, patients undergo a thorough diagnostic examination to identify the type of wound and the underlying problems causing the wound.

The initial appointment consists of a full assessment to determine the cause of the wound, the appropriate classification and size of the wound, the overall health status of the patient and the patient’s ability to comply with needed therapies.

Based on the evaluation, a customized treatment plan is developed to optimize the therapies best suited to address the patient’s needs. Wound size and depth are documented at the initial visit, and again at each subsequent visit. Diagnostic modalities may include:

• Laboratory evaluation
• Radiology (including MRI) 
• Transcutaneous oxygen testing 
• Vascular studies, electrocardiogram 
• Ultrasound

After this determination, a program specifically tailored to the patient’s needs is developed. Specialized wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are usually administered on an outpatient basis. Patients are free to drive themselves to the Center for therapy and should expect 2½ to 3 hours for each visit.

What is Specialized Wound Care?

Once a treatment plan has been initiated, patients visit the Center on a regular basis for specialized treatments and documentation of progress. We provide full instructions for caring for wounds at home between visits. Keeping appointments and following directions are critical to attaining a positive healing outcome.