Wound Management Services at Sturdy Memorial Hospital Healing Patients with Advanced Therapies and Equipment for 20 Years
by Dr. Kenkre Mahesh, Medical Director of Wound Management Services
Almost twenty years ago, in July 1995, Wound Management Services (WMS) started healing patients at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. This center was the first of its kind in southeastern Massachusetts, and one of only 150 centers nationwide. Since its inception, WMS has treated over 78,000 patients with an outstanding healing rate of 98.1 percent. In addition, WMS consistently heals patients faster than the national average, healing patients in an average of 41 days, in comparison to the average of 66 days, when benchmarked with over 700 wound care centers nationally.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is estimated that approximately 6.5 million Americans suffer from chronic wounds. A chronic wound is a wound that has failed to progress through the normal, timely, sequenced phases of healing. The annual cost of treating chronic wounds is estimated to be in excess of $25 billion and increasing. Moving forward, it is fair to expect a rise in the incidences of chronic wounds as a result of an aging population, and increases in diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Sturdy’s team of experienced physicians, wound care specialists, surgeons, and registered nurses evaluates and treats patients with chronic, non-healing wounds and ulcers. Wounds do not heal normally in people who have underlying health issues, which directly or indirectly interfere with the complex process of healing. Conditions and factors that can put people at greater risk for developing chronic wounds include diabetes, compromised circulation, chronic heart or respiratory disease, immobility, compromised immune systems, lack of sensation in the extremities, and use of certain medications
Wounds should start to show signs of significant healing within the first two weeks. If there are no signs of healing or the wound has not healed completely within six weeks, advanced wound care may become necessary. Neglected or improperly treated wounds can result in infection, or in severe cases, amputation. Trained specialists at WMS develop individualized treatment plans and use the latest technology, advanced therapies, and equipment to heal wounds that have not responded to conventional treatment. Methods of treatment usually include a combination of interventions such as debridement, compression therapy, infection control, angioplasty and stenting or bypass, application of bioengineered skin products and skin grafting.
Living with a chronic wound can cause loss of mobility, depression, financial strain, and can negatively impact a patient’s overall quality of life. If you suffer from a chronic wound, help is available. Wound Management Services at Sturdy Memorial Hospital has been providing expert advanced wound care with a team of specially trained clinicians and support staff for 20 years.
