Cleveland Clinic

There's a saying that "time heals all wounds," but the truth is that without advanced therapies some wounds can take years and even decades to heal, while others do not respond to treatment. Lutheran Hospital's Wound Healing Center offers specialized wound care for patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, as well as slow-healing wounds.

 

Our Wound Healing Center staff includes a unique team of doctors, nurses, and therapists dedicated to healing chronic wounds. The causes of open sores vary, and our team offers clinical expertise in all major areas necessary to handle different circumstances and challenges. This multidisciplinary team approach offers you the advantage of expert wound care in an outpatient setting, and the opportunity to improve your quality of life.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) is an essential component of several chronic wound healing treatment plans. This medical treatment increases the amount of oxygen in the patient’s bloodstream, allowing oxygen to pass more easily through the plasma into the wounds to heal them.

 

Specially made HBO chambers (resembling a reclining bed inside in a large, clear, acrylic shell), surround patients with 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. Patients can relax by listening to music or watching movies while receiving treatments, and the only physical sensation patients may feel is slight pressure in their eardrums, similar to a passenger’s experience when an airplane lands.

 

Types of wounds treated with HBO:

• Diabetic Wounds
• Slow Healing Wounds (Wounds that have not shown improvement in four weeks)
• Certain Bone and Skin Infections
• Radiation Injuries
• Compromised Skin Grafts or Flaps
• Gangrene
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning