St. Luke Hospitals: Wound Treatment Center

Specialized Treatment Program

Nearly five million Americans suffer with non-healing wounds because of diabetes, pressure ulcers, circulatory problems or injury. Unlike normal wounds that your body can heal, chronic or traumatic open wounds show no significant signs of healing over a period of several weeks.

If you have a wound that isn't healing, help is available. The St. Luke Hospitals offers a comprehensive, specialized program to help patients who suffer with non-healing wounds.

At The St. Luke Hospitals Wound Treatment Centers, you will be carefully evaluated and treated by a team of experts that includes certified wound care nurses and physicians specializing in:

Family medicine
General surgery
Plastic surgery
Podiatric surgery
Vascular surgery

At our centers, each patient is evaluated to find any medical conditions that might block the natural healing process. Our wound care physicians then coordinate your treatment with your primary care physician, understanding that wounds often require complex and long-term treatment. By having specialists help care for the wound, your doctor is able to spend more time on other aspects of your care. Results and updates are given directly to your doctor, home health agency, nursing home, or extended care facility.

In addition to treatment for your non-healing wound, the Wound Treatment Center's staff provides recommendations on how to care for wounds at home. Our experts also provide information on nutrition, physical therapy aids, and diabetes management to help aid the healing process and prevent future wounds.

Common Types of Chronic Wounds

Diabetic or Neuropathic Foot Ulcers

Some of the most common types of non-healing wounds are diabetic or neuropathic foot ulcers. When you lose feeling in your feet, you can easily injure them. It is very common for people who have lost feeling in their feet and legs to burn them or harm them in some other way and not know it.

Pressure Ulcers (Bedsores)

Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, develop when skin is squeezed between a bone and an external surface, such as a bed or wheelchair. They are most likely to develop at the tailbone, heels, elbows, shoulder blades, knees, ankles, the back of the head or the spine. Pressure ulcers are common in people who have difficulty walking and for those who are bedridden or wheelchair-bound.

Venous Stasis Ulcers

Venous stasis ulcers occur in the lower leg between the ankle and the knee, due to poor circulation. They are caused by pooling of blood in the legs because of damaged valves in the veins. The legs may swell, feel hardened, or become discolored.

Vascular Ulcers

Vascular ulcers occur because blood supply to the feet is decreased. These wounds are usually very painful, and require immediate treatment to determine if it is possible to save the limb.

When one of these types of non-healing wounds appears, notify your doctor or call our Wound Treatment Centers to talk to a specialist. If you see signs of infection, temperature, odor, increased drainage, increased pain, coolness or heat at the site of the wound, get medical attention immediately.