Vanessa Wheeler-Hardimon was not sure how bad the wound was on her left foot.
“To be honest, I did not look at it for a long time,” the 68-year-old Gary resident said. “I just could not do it.” With her wound getting worse, she made the decision to go to the Emergency Department at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.
That is when she met Jared Moon, DPM, a podiatrist with Community Care Network, Inc., who examined the wound and diagnosed her with gangrene and osteomyelitis – a bacterial infection of bone tissue. Moon decided Wheeler-Hardimon needed surgery that day – Christmas Day.
“When the ER called me, I knew her situation required emergency surgery,” he said. “Her overall prognosis was not good. Typically, patients with gas gangrene do poorly unless surgical and medical care is started quickly. Fortunately, we were able to prevent leg amputation and saved enough of her foot so that she could still walk with normal shoes. This experience underscores the importance of timely intervention in critical cases, as it can make all the difference in a patient’s quality of life.”
Each year, more than 6.5 million Americans are treated for chronic wounds, and the numbers likely will increase, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. When a wound does not improve within four weeks or has not healed within eight weeks, it is classified as a chronic, non-healing wound.
If left untreated, chronic wounds decrease a person’s quality of life and may lead to the loss of a limb or life. Often people with slow-healing wounds have another chronic condition as a contributing factor, such as diabetes, heart disease or peripheral artery disease.
Being diabetic, Wheeler-Hardimon’s wound did not heal as fast as desired. Moon suggested she receive a series of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatments at Community Healthcare System’s Wound Ostomy & Continence Center at 3170 Willowcreek Road in Portage.
“Typically, the air we breathe is 21 percent oxygen,” said Patricia Biel, NP, who specializes in wound care at Community Healthcare System. “With hyperbaric medicine, the extra oxygen is carried through the various components of blood to the compromised areas of the body.”
Wheeler-Hardimon quickly saw improvement within the first month and completed therapy in three months after 60 sessions.
“I could really see the healing,” she said. “I was shocked by how much faster the healing happened than I anticipated. The nurses would take pictures to compare the healing from each treatment.”
Hyperbaric therapy takes place in a clear, acrylic chamber. Patients lie on a stretcher inside the chamber and can watch TV or a movie. Most sessions last between 90 and 120 minutes. A wound care team member stays in the room during treatment.
“I have full trust in Dr. Moon and the staff,” Wheeler-Hardimon said. “They showed me the chamber and explained how everything worked. I found the treatments to be soothing and calming. I would lie in the chamber, watch my movies and think about everything I’m grateful for.”
When she is not serving as a St. Mary Medical Center Auxiliary volunteer – a commitment she had maintained for nearly 10 years – Wheeler-Hardimon is an associate minister at her church.
“God is good,” she said. “I’m just now getting to a point where I can stand for long periods of time and speak to the congregation. I take my hat off to Dr. Moon. Because of him, I can walk.”
Conditions treated with hyperbaric therapy include:
- Bone infections
- Diabetic foot and leg wounds
- Injuries from radiation therapy
- Skin wounds
In addition to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the Wound Centers of Community Healthcare System offer a full range of inpatient and outpatient wound and ostomy care. The multidisciplinary Wound Ostomy Care team not only uses advanced therapies for healing but also addresses the underlying cause of a wound to help reduce the potential for recurrence.
Treatments also include:
- Bioengineered skin grafting
- Compression therapy for edema or swelling
- Debridement (gentle removal of unhealthy tissue in the wound)
- Negative pressure wound therapy
- Off-loading for foot ulcers
- Pulsed lavage for cleansing
To learn more about Wound Care services at Community Healthcare System, call the physician referral line at 219-836-3477.
