Dr. Martin was named a 2012 Super Doctor by Texas Monthly! Click HERE to learn more about this honor.

The Wound Healing Center is under the medical direction of Dr. Rick Martin and program director Deana Wilde.  The center offers the latest in technology for healing complicated wounds.  The Wound Healing Center is located next door to Woodland Heights Medical Center at 10 Medical Center Boulevard, Suite G in Lufkin.  You can reach them by calling (936) 63-WOUND 

Benefits of The Wound Healing Center

For most people, wound healing is a natural, uneventful process.  For some individuals, however, it becomes a complex medical problem requiring specialized treatment and care. On a national level, failure to successfully resolve acute and chronic nonhealing wounds annually represents a multibillion dollar health care expenditure. In addition to the economic costs, the personal tragedies represented by these patients have resulted in the development of specialized centers for the management and resolution of these often difficult medical problems.

Woodland Heights has made a major commitment to this specialized area of medical care by establishing the Wound Healing Center. Since problem wounds are often associated with other underlying medical conditions, The Center is specifically designed to integrate wound care with ongoing healthcare. 

Patients are seen in consultation at the request of referring physicians and entered into an appropriate outpatient program of evaluation and adjunctive management. A major emphasis of the Center is outpatient care and follow- up to reduce use the quote from the case study.

Problem wounds can create a complex set of challenges. The Wound Healing Center   provides a full range of services for effective wound treatment and associated medical conditions.  The Center provides an extensive assessment of the wound site as well as the patient’s health factors that may be affecting the wound healing process.  In addition, the Center develops individualized treatment plans, coordinate care, and provide patients and care givers with education on wound care at home and lifestyle adjustments to facilitate the healing process.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also is offered at the Wound Healing Center.  The Center is equipped with two pressurized chambers that provide pure oxygen to patients.  Breathing pure oxygen increases the level of oxygen in the bloodstream to promote wound healing by stimulating new vascular growth and facilitating the “normal” wound healing process in compromised patients.  It also aids in the preservation of damaged tissues by increased oxygen delivery to injured tissue.

The Wound Healing Center provides one of  the best, most modern techniques to care for patients who suffer from difficult-to-heal wounds.  Woodland Heights is delighted to offer patients another alternative to the wound healing process.  We have a highly skilled and knowledgeable staff that is ready to serve the health care needs of these specialized patients.

If you have a question regarding chronic wound care, you may find the answer here. For further information, contact The Wound Healing Center  directly at  936-63-WOUND.

What are Comprehensive Wound Healing Centers?

Using the most advanced techniques, products and services, Comprehensive Wound Healing Centers provide a full range of wound treatments.  A team of doctors, nurses and other health care workers, specializing in wound care, provide the best care possible in an outpatient treatment setting.

Why is a special center for treating wounds necessary?

The Wound Healing Center is designed to fulfill the needs of patients who require specialized and aggressive care for their wounds.  In traditional medical settings, many patients may not receive the interdisciplinary attention that these wounds require. For these people, minor lesions can unfortunately lead to chronic, non-healing wounds with serious infection, gangrene and possible amputation. 

How many people have chronic, non-healing wounds?

It is estimated that nearly 5 million Americans suffer from chronic wounds.

What guidelines define a chronic, non-healing wound?

If a wound has not improved significantly in four weeks or if it has not completed the healing process in eight weeks, it is considered a chronic, non-healing wound.

What are the causes of these wounds?

Diabetes, immobilization, and circulatory problems, contribute to the majority of chronic, non-healing wounds.  Approximately 1.5 million people with non-healing wounds have diabetes. Another 2.5 million patients have pressure ulcers. This is a common side effect of spinal cord injury, arthritis and other conditions that require a patient to be bedridden (immobilization). Persons suffering from venous insufficiency (circulatory problems) account for another one half million patients. The rest have wounds that result from traumatic injury, non-healing surgical incisions and a variety of other diseases.

How do I seek treatment?

If you are suffering from a non-healing wound, approach your doctor about other options you may have to speed up the healing process.

Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) Treatment

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) usually triggers curiosity and some common sense questions. Here are the most frequently asked questions and answers in a layman's language.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) treatment?

Initially used to treat underwater divers with the bends, HBO2 has been proven effective in treating many diseases. It does not replace other reliable treatments such as surgery and medication, but is generally prescribed in conjunction with other treatments.

Who can utilize Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) treatments?

Accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy encompass a wide range of clinical conditions including:

• Air or Gas Embolism
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome, and other Acute Traumatic Ischemias
• Cyanide Poisoning
• Decompression Sickness
• Enhancement of Healing Selected Problem Wounds
• Selected Refractory Anaerobic Infections
• Exceptional Blood Loss Anemia
• Gas Gangrene
• Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
• Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
• Radiation Necrosis: Osteoradionecrosis and Soft Tissue Radiation Necrosis
• Compromised Skin Grafts or Flaps
• Thermal Burns
• Diabetic Foot Wounds

How does it work?
Normally, the air we breathe is 21 percent oxygen. During HBO2, you will breathe pure oxygen (100 Percent) and the pressure surrounding your body will be slowly increased to two or three times normal. The increased oxygen you breathe will also increase the oxygen your blood carries to body tissues. This abundance of oxygen in your tissues enhances the repair of tissue damage.

Are there any side effects or after effects?

The most common effect is a "fullness" or popping sensation in your ears, which lasts only briefly. As with most medical treatments, there may also be other effects. Such other effects are rare, and a staff member will discuss them with you in detail before treatment.