Wound Care Center

Wounds that don't get better with time or recur may require the expertise of wound care specialists.

Wound care specialists provide care and treatment of acute, chronic, and non-healing wounds by referral from your doctor. Acute wounds can include cuts from surgical procedures, animal bites and burns; while chronic wounds refer to pressure sores and diabetic ulcers.

In the Wound Care Center at Astria Sunnyside Hospital, our highly-trained staff provides expert care using state-of-the-art technology for acute and severe or chronic wounds. Our wound care specialists include a board-certified plastic surgeon, a nurse practitioner, and registered nurses who are specially trained in wound care.

What to expect at an appointment

The first visit to a wound care specialist will include a thorough diagnostic analysis of the wound, the cause of the wound, and a discussion of issues that might obstruct healing. The provider will then schedule a series of visits, and with each visit, the wound will be reassessed and the treatment plan modified as needed.

Patients with certain health conditions that may make wound healing more difficult:

• Diabetes
• Congestive heart failure
• Vascular disease
• Incontinence
• Severe obesity
• Renal failure
• Nerve damage
• Venous stasis
• Osteomyelitis
• Peripheral artery disease
• Infections requiring IV antibiotics

Types of wounds treated

Complex wounds including vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, radiation wounds, necrotizing fasciitis, arterial wounds, amputations, various types of traumatic injury, and some post-operative wounds may benefit from treatment in a wound care center.

A variety of advanced treatments and diagnostics that aid in the healing process of acute and chronic wounds are offered, including:

• Ultrasound
• Wound vacs
• Growth factor therapy
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Astria Sunnyside Hospital is the only hospital in the Lower Valley with this therapy. This therapy delivers greater amounts of oxygen to the body's tissue via both the circulation system and the tissue, which promotes healing. Conditions frequently treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy include:

• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Wounds with bone infections
• Non-healing wounds due to radiation injury

Ask your primary care provider for a referral to the Wound Care specialists at Astria Sunnyside Hospital.