Wound Healing

There's no reason you need to live with an open sore. Reid Wound Healing Center, conveniently located on Chester Boulevard south of Reid's main campus, is equipped and staffed to address the unique circumstances associated with each wound. In fact, we've been able to treat many open sores that have resisted traditional treatment with a success rate of 80% healed in 12-16 weeks!

Our center is staffed with a unique team of care providers dedicated to healing chronic and acute wounds. Our team includes a full-time wound and ostomy clinic specialists, Kendall Alig, NP and Amy Frantz, PA . The causes of open sores are complex and our group represents expertise in all of the major areas necessary to handle your particular circumstances and challenges.

Nearly 2.5 million Americans have non-healing wounds that can be caused by diabetes, circulatory problems, pressure ulcers, bone infections, and vascular wounds. Every wound is unique and the Wound Healing Center at Reid Health is equipped and staffed for your personal wound care needs.

Finding the right treatment could be as simple as changing a medication, but other circumstances may involve further evaluation. Whatever it takes for healing to occur, we're equipped and staffed to make it happen.

Breathing 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure is a painless, proven way to help the body heal.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy chambers work by surrounding the patient with 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure in sessions, also called "dives." A dive typically lasts 90 minutes to two hours. This increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, allowing red blood cells to pass more easily through the plasma into the wounds to heal them from the inside out. It also enables white blood cells (the protectors of our body) to more easily move throughout the body and destroy invaders.

HBO was introduced in the mid 1960s, HBO therapy chambers have evolved to treat patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, and wounds that haven't healed within 30 days. This therapy can help reduce swelling, fight infection, and build new blood vessels, ultimately producing healthy tissue.

Weighing more than one ton each, the HBO therapy chamber resembles a reclining bed encased in a clear acrylic shell nearly a yard in diameter. You can listen to music or watch movies on televisions and VCR/DVD players mounted above the chamber while remaining in constant contact with those outside the chamber through an intercom and private handset. 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.

Ostomy surgery is life altering/body altering but is also life saving.

Finding a healthcare professional with specific training in ostomy care is crucial for successful patient outcomes. Staff at Reid Health Wound Healing Center not only help with the physical difficulties of having a stoma but also help empower the individual to lead fulfilling lives! Full time CWOCN and educated staff are at your service to assist your ostomy needs.

Issues we can help troubleshoot:

• pouching problems
• supply issues
• parastomal hernias
• wounds
• skin concerns
• high output stomas
• reinforcement of education or initial teaching
• much more

Ostomy surgery can bring relief to individuals that have been dealing with debilitating symptoms but may also be a complete surprise to others. Whether this is a planned operation or the outcome of an emergency situation, an ostomy will bring unique challenges to affected individuals and we are here to help. We provide personalized, individual education, care, and support for you and your loved ones.

If your health care provider is considering a surgery that may result in an ostomy, we can collaborate with your health care provider to provide pre-operative education and site marking. Pre-operative site marking allows for optimal placement, considering many factors. This time also allows for education, preparation, questions and fears to be addressed.

Anyone with a current ostomy or an upcoming ostomy can call Wound Center (765) 983-3300 or request an appointment.

Reid Health Wound Healing Center offers a support and education group for anyone with an ostomy, regardless of diagnosis. The group will discuss issues that may come up while adjusting to living with an ostomy. It is an opportunity for participants to provide each other with emotional and practical support and to share information and experiences.

Topics may include:

• Education around ostomy care and supplies
• Adjusting to life with an ostomy
• Impact of an ostomy on intimate relationships
• Coping strategies

The group meets on the second Thursday of every month from 11:00 AM to noon in the Oncology Conference Room, located at 1100 Reid Parkway near the Reid Health Cancer Center. For more information, call Reid Health Wound Healing Center at (765) 983-3300.