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 Jonathan Levison, MD, Medical Director of The Wound Center at Clara Maass, says that treatments prescribed at the Center are likely to cure the non-healing wound of the average patient in six to eight weeks.
BELLEVILLE, N.J. -- Technology has positively affected many aspects of medicine, and wound care is no exception. At The Wound Center at Clara Maass, a dedicated team is working to uncover the origin of the problematic wound, identify other co-existing factors that may inhibit wound healing, and expedite the cure.
Internists, endocrinologists, podiatrists, vascular surgeons and general surgeons comprise the team at The Wound Center, as well as nurses who are experienced in treating and caring for patients whose wounds have resisted healing.
"For many of the patients coming into our Center, these wounds represent a tip of the iceberg as far as their overall health" says Jonathan Levison, M.D., Medical Director of The Wound Center at Clara Maass. "We assess their overall condition and try to discern how it relates to the wound and how we can alter things to actually improve the wound."
Patients' Conditions
Patients who are referred to The Wound Center often suffer from conditions like lymphedema, which involves chronic swelling of the lower extremities, diabetes, or other vascular (vessels such as arteries and veins) problems. Traumatic or non-healing surgical wounds are also treated. Venous ulcers of the leg are among the most common type of non-healing wounds, since chronic venous insufficiency affects one in every five people.
The Wound Center utilizes a multidisciplinary approach in treating patients. According to Dr. Levison, part of the team approach involves reaching a consensus on a treatment plan that is going to be conducive to the patient's at-home environment which allows them to expedite healing.
"We just don't prescribe treatments for patients and send them on their way. We look at all the factors in their lives that could be affecting the wound's inability to heal such as their environment or lifestyle, and nutritional status, and make our recommendations accordingly," says Dr. Levison. "We make sure their treatment is compliant with their home situation and they have the ability to follow a prescribed course of treatment, whether it involves medications, wraps, or another form of treatment."
Treatments
Treatments prescribed by The Wound Center at Clara Maass are likely to cure the non-healing wound of the average patient in six to eight weeks. Human skin equivalents and other modalities are being used with great success. One of these is the Apligraf, manufactured by Novartis, a human skin equivalent made from cells harvested from the foreskin of circumcised newborns and applied directly to venous ulcers and non-healing diabetic ulcers.
Some newer dressings made for wound care contain hydropolymers, a substance which provides a moisture barrier for the wound to heal while providing absorbent qualities. These dressings aim at decreasing both the discomfort of the patient and the frequency of applications. Hyperbaric oxygen, which delivers oxygen to the open wound at a very high pressure, has also been used successfully to cure wounds that are rooted in vascular abnormalities. Many other modalities that cure wounds are used when appropriate.
Patricia Monterosa, R.N., Director of The Wound Center at Clara Maass, says that the location of the Wound Center in the hospital gives it an advantage over free-standing centers since patients have access to all the services of the hospital such as a vascular lab, should they require it. She also has high praise for the staff who provide comfort as well as relief to patients with non-healing wounds.
"What makes this Wound Center unique is the consistency of care. The physicians and the clinical case managers here really know the products and which ones will deliver the most effective treatment aimed at eliminating the patients' wounds," she said.
For more information, please call The Wound Center at Clara Maass at 973-844-4070.
Clara Maass Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, provides a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey. Located in Belleville, Clara Maass offers acute care services through Clara Maass Medical Center; skilled, rehabilitative care through the Continuing Care Center at Belleville; assisted living and long-term care through the Continuing Care Center at Kearny; home health care through JerseyCare Home Health; and diagnostic radiology services through the Progressive Imaging Center.
Other centers of medical excellence include the Women's Health Center, nuclear medicine, The Cancer Center, diagnostic cardiac services including cardiac catheterization and rehabilitation, The Wound Center at Clara Maass, the Pain Management Center, the Orthopedic Spine & Joint
Institute, same day surgery, and maternal/child health programs.
For more information on Clara Maass programs and services, please
call 1-800-CLARA MAASS.
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