The Wound Center at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) offers two hyperbaric oxygen chambers which deliver 100% pure oxygen to patients in a pressurized chamber. Non-healing wounds are particularly prevalent among the estimated 25.8 million Americans affected by diabetes, a disease affecting many who live in Eastern Kentucky. Of those diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes, 15 to 25 percent are at risk for developing foot ulcers.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an advanced way of healing these types of wounds, and can also be beneficial in treating carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression
illness, radiation necrosis and open bone fractures. During HBOT, patients experience pressure equivalent to diving 40 to 65 feet underwater.

HBOT is usually scheduled in consecutive sessions over many weeks and offers several patient benefits. It enhances the delivery of oxygen to tissues, which promotes the healing of wounds and helps fight infection. Increased oxygen levels also stimulate the production of collagen, a key component in tissue repair and
regeneration. This type of therapy can also improve the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and enhance the body’s natural defense mechanisms by increasing the amount of oxygen blood can carry.

For more information, please visit: https://www.pikevillehospital.org/wound-center/#1520875300093-2-1

The post Advanced Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Accelerates Wound Healing at PMC appeared first on Pikeville Medical Center.

The Wound Center at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) offers two hyperbaric oxygen chambers which deliver 100% pure oxygen to patients in a pressurized chamber. Non-healing wounds are particularly prevalent among the estimated 25.8 million Americans affected by diabetes, a disease affecting many who live in Eastern Kentucky. Of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, 15 to 25 percent are at risk for developing foot ulcers.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an advanced way of healing these types of wounds but can also be beneficial in treating carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression illness, radiation necroses and open bone fractures. During HBOT, patients experience pressure equivalent to that experienced when diving 40 to 65 feet underwater.

HBOT is usually scheduled in consecutive sessions over many weeks and offers several patient benefits. It enhances the delivery of oxygen to tissues, which promotes the healing of wounds and helps fight infection. Increased oxygen levels also stimulate the production of collagen, a key component in tissue repair and regeneration. HBOT can also improve the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and enhance the body’s natural defense mechanisms by increasing the amount of oxygen blood can carry.

For more information about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at PMC visit:  https://www.pmcky.org/wound-center/#1520875300093-2-1

The post PMC Uses Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to Improve Wound Healing appeared first on Pikeville Medical Center.

For many patients with either Type I or Type II diabetes, healing from wounds or diabetic ulcers can be difficult. Patients who have a wound that has not begun to heal in several weeks may be candidates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the pressure is increased to the equivalent of being 66 feet below sea level. Under these conditions, oxygen is forced into the bloodstream, which is then carried to the wound site, enhancing the healing process.

“PMC is fortunate to have two hyperbaric oxygen chambers,” explained PMC Wound Center Director David Thacker. “In our region, not all hospitals have hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Having two gives us an additional tool to treat our patients. It is amazing to see how much a patient’s body responds to 100 percent pure oxygen under these conditions. Often, we can see healing begin after 10–15 treatments.”

The PMC Wound Center is a full-time, specialized department within the hospital dedicated to treating wounds that are showing difficulty in healing. Non-healing wounds are particularly prevalent among the estimated 26 million Americans affected by diabetes. Of those patients diagnosed, approximately 15–25 percent are at risk for developing foot ulcers.

For more information on the PMC Wound Center and options available for treating non-healing wounds, please visit our Wound Center pageor call 606-218-4721.

The post Patients Experience Healing Through Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy appeared first on Pikeville Medical Center.

An estimated 6.5 million people in the United States are faced with wounds that do not heal after several weeks, and many of those live in Eastern Kentucky. The Wound Center at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) provides specialized treatment and offers an aggressive, multi-disciplinary approach to treating chronic and non-healing wounds that have resisted other treatments.

PMC’s Board Certified physicians Mariano E. Rivera, DPM, and Timothy Wright, DO, FACOS, work together with a dedicated staff to provide a comprehensive approach to wound care. The two physicians specialize in treating non-healing wounds, particularly prevalent among diabetic patients.

A patient who has a wound that has not begun to heal after two weeks or has not entirely healed within six weeks may benefit from advanced wound care modalities offered at the PMC Wound Center such as:

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
• Cellular tissue-based products & bio-engineered skin grafting
• Total contact casting
• Compression wrapping
• Advanced wound dressings

Successful wound care is a combination of several treatments that work together to achieve healing.
Indications that specialized wound care may be necessary include:
• Diabetic Ulcers
• Neuropathic Ulcers
• Pressure Ulcers
• Venous Insufficiency
• Ischemic Ulcers
• Traumatic Wounds
• Surgical Wounds
• Osteomyelitis

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For many patients with both Type I and Type II diabetes, healing from wounds or diabetic ulcers can be difficult. The PMC Wound Center works with patients to develop a comprehensive approach to treat wounds that have resisted other treatments, many times avoiding the amputation of limbs.

Patients who have a wound that has not begun to heal in several weeks may be candidates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the pressure is increased to the equivalent of being 66 feet below sea level. Under these conditions, oxygen is forced into the bloodstream which is then carried to the wound site, enhancing the healing process.

“PMC is fortunate to have two hyperbaric oxygen chambers,” explained PMC Wound Center Director, David Thacker. “In our region, not all hospitals have hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Having two gives us an additional tool to treat our patients. It is amazing to see how much a patient’s body responds to 100 percent pure oxygen under these conditions. Often, we can see healing begins after 10–15 treatments.”

The PMC Wound Center is a full-time, specialized department within the hospital comprised of a team dedicated to treating wounds that are showing difficulty in healing. Non-healing wounds are particularly prevalent among the estimated 26 million Americans affected by diabetes. Of those patients diagnosed, approximately 15–25 percent are at risk for developing foot ulcers.

For more information on the PMC Wound Center and options available for treating non-healing wounds, please visit our Wound Center Page or call 606-218-4721.

The post Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers Treat Hard-To-Heal Wounds appeared first on Pikeville Medical Center.