B. A.
Pontani, MD, FAAFP, CWS
Southeast Texas Hyperbaric Medicine
Center, P.A.
Medical Director
Research/Education Coordinator
Southeast Texas Center for Wound Care
and Hyperbaric Medicine
ROBERT A.
WARRINER, III, M.D., FACA, FCCP
President
Southeast Texas Hyperbaric Medicine Center, P.A.
Emeritus
Medical Director
Southeast Texas Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine
SHERRILL
WHITE
Southeast Texas Hyperbaric Medicine
Center, P.A.
Practice Administrator
Education Coordinator
Services of the
Center
[Patient Evaluation] [Wound Management] [Referral Criteria] [Emergency Care]
The Center provides
patient evaluation as required, including:
 | complete patient assessment of
systemic and local factors affecting wound healing
|
| peripheral vascular testing to assess
the presence of possibly reversible lower extremity arterial disease
|
| transcutaneous tissue oxygen tension
measurement to assess wound hypoxia
|
The evaluation identifies the
underlying causes of poor wound healing with are potentially amenable to treatment.
[Top] [Wound Management] [Referral Criteria] [Emergency Care]
In addition to
its comprehensive wound management program, the Center also provides emergency medical
care for the following:
| carbon monoxide poisoning
|
| arterial gas embolism
|
| decompression sickness
|
[Top] [Wound Management] [Referral Criteria] [Emergency Care]
Based on the
identification of underlying causes of poor wound healing, the Center provides specific
wound management as indicated, including:
| an aggressive program of conventional
wound care and clinic wound debridements as indicated
|
| off-loading and specialized orthotics
to assist in initial healing of plantar ulcers and to prevent recurrence
|
| lower extremity edema control
|
| adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen
treatment to correct tissue hypoxia
|
| an extensive program of patient
education to improve compliance with treatment and to reduce the risk of late wound
recurrence
|
When requested by the referring
physician, the Center can also provide consultation with plastic and peripheral vascular
surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and podiatrists.
[Top] [Patient
Evaluation] [Referral Criteria] [Emergency
Care]
Referral to the
Center can be made whenever one or more of the following criteria have been met:
| full or partial thickness wounds that
fail to show significant clinical improvement in four weeks
|
| full thickness wounds with exposed
tendon, bone, and/or joint
|
| wound in compromised patients,
especially those with diabetes mellitus
|
| clostridia myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
|
| other narcotizing soft tissue
(subcutaneous, muscle, fascia) infections
|
| refractory osteomyelitis
|
| radiation tissue injury (soft tissue
and osteoradionecrosis)
|
| crush injury, compartment syndromes,
and other acute traumatic ischemic injuries
|
| compromised or failing skin grafts
and flaps
|
| thermal burns
|
Successful management of patients with
wound healing problems can exceed the capabilities of the individual physician's office
due to the complexity and time consuming nature of the care required. The Center
concentrates the resources and the specialized tertiary wound care technology necessary to
achieve optimum results in these difficult patients. Our experience and commitment
to comprehensive wound management have made the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric
Medicine a nationally recognized Center of excellence in the management of patients with
problem wounds.
[Top] [Patient
Evaluation] [Wound Management] [Emergency
Care]
