Wound Care and Hyperbaric Therapy
If you have a wound that has not healed, consider seeking help from Dr. Sasmor, the Medical Director of the Wound and Hyperbaric Center at Anna Jaques Hospital. Together, the wound center doctors and nurses have established an impressive record of healing wounds that others thought hopeless, including many that might have required amputation. Our carefully researched methods allow patients to receive state-of-the art treatment of wounds that have resisted healing despite months, or even years of conventional treatment.
Your Treatment Program
Before beginning treatment, the wound healing doctors and nurses will evaluate your wound and review your medical history and general health. You may have special tests to provide us with important information.
On your first visit, please bring a list of your current medications and your allergies. We also need your records, including x-rays (if available) and current insurance forms and/or cards. This will simplify your registration. We treat only your wounds, so you will continue to see your primary care physician for your complete medical care. We inform your doctor about your treatment program and your progress.
Some of the conditions we treat:
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Diabetic foot ulcers
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Lower leg ulcers
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Pressure ulcers
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Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
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Soft tissue infections
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Radiation burn
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Gangrene
Hyperbaric Medicine
Hyperbaric medicine is a medical treatment administered by delivering 100 percent oxygen at pressures greater than atmospheric (sea level) pressure to a patient in an enclosed chamber. The hyperbaric chamber is a steel, aluminum, or clear acrylic space in which air can be compressed to a pressure that is greater than sea level. Most patients are treated at a pressure equivalent to two or two and a half times normal atmospheric pressure. Chambers are made of a special thick strong acrylic shell. They can be equipped with comfortable reclining strechers that allow patients to stretch out to a completely flat position. To enhance patient comfort, music or movies can be played during treatments which are usually provided through a headset or an interior speaker. Whenever the chamber is in use, medical personnel trained in hyperbarics are in constant contact via visual and audio communications.
Hyperbaric oxygen acts as a drug, eliciting varying levels of response at different treatment depths, durations, and dosages and has been proven effective as adjunctive therapy for specifically indicated conditions. The following is a partial list of conditions that have been determined to be acceptable indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy by Medicare, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), and the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM).
It is important to note that each organization has its own list of approved indications and the following list is a combination of those lists and not an approved list from any one organization listed here. In most cases, medical insurance carriers (including Medicare and Medicaid) provide coverage for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Indications most commonly treated at Anna Jaques Hospital include:
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Diabetic wounds
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Gangrene
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Enhancement of healing in selected problem wounds
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Compromised skin graft flaps
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Radiation necrosis
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Refractory osteomyelitis
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