FAQs

A:A chronic wound is a wound that fails to heal within one month. These wounds prevent the skin from performing its normal function of protecting against infection and holding nutrients within the body. Often these wounds are complicated by one or more chronic illnesses such as diabetes or atherosclerosis (poor blood flow). Such wounds can affect the whole person and lead to serious infections of bone and sometimes of the blood, resulting in costly treatment, amputation, loss of independence, reduced quality of life and/or death.

A:Radiation, while effective in the treatment of cancerous tumor cells, is not selective in the tissue it targets. In other words, while effectively destroying cancerous tumor cells, radiation can also cause damage to healthy tissue. This damage can occur anywhere between two weeks to 20 years after treatment. More often than not, there are no symptoms of radiation injury for at least five years.

A:The symptoms of radiation injury are usually not as visible as typical chronic wounds. This is because soft tissue radiation damage often begins in the tissue or bone. Symptoms of radiation injury can be harder to detect. Your doctor must first rule out other possible causes of these symptoms because they could be an indication of a different health problem. Depending on the location of the previous radiation therapy, these symptoms could include:

• Presence of blood in your urine
• Rectal bleeding
• Vaginal discharge
• Pain

A:Until recently, there has been no satisfactory treatment for radiation damage. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy fills this long-standing need. Radiation damage causes a lack of oxygen in the body's tissues. Hyperbaric oxygen helps fight this damage by increasing the amount of oxygen within the tissues, which aids in recovery. Like any therapy, hyperbaric oxygen is not a cure-all; however, approximately 60 to 80% of patients will experience either improvement or complete resolution of soft tissue radiation injury.

A:In most cased you do not need a referral unless your insurance dictates that you do. You can refer yourself. Call the Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine Center at 410-787-4900 to schedule your appointment.

A:Within the same week, in most cases the next day.

A:Bring your insurance card, any medications that you are taking and an ID card (driver's license in most cases).

A:Your feet will be tested to see how much feeling you have and if your blood flow is healthy. Your wound will be examined and measured and you will be given information on how to care for your wound. Your findings will be discussed with your doctor so he/she can decide how to proceed with your care.

A:If you continue to come to the Wound Healing Center, we will re-examine your wound to see what progress has been made. We'll review your test results and remove any dead tissue. We'll also answer any questions you have about how to care for your wound or what's going to happen next.