Chronic nonhealing wounds – those that do not progress through the healing stages in a predictable and timely manner – can cause serious problems such as chronic pain, loss of function, decreased mobility and increased isolation and stress. Today, about 6.5 million Americans are suffering with chronic nonhealing wounds, and this number is projected to increase as the United States population gets older.
Inova Wound Healing Centers (IWHC) treat patients with vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, traumatic wounds and other nonhealing, chronic wounds in four outpatient clinic locations. As one of the largest wound care systems in the Washington, DC, region, the centers see more than 24,800 visits per year at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Inova Loudoun Hospital and Inova Fairfax Wound Healing Center, located adjacent to Inova Fairfax Medical Campus.
With a multispecialty team approach to treating complex wounds, the centers draw from many fields of medical expertise including plastic surgery, podiatric surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery and nursing. IWHC providers also partner with several additional specialists including infectious disease, interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, OB-GYN surgery, metabolic health, primary care, dermatology, rheumatology, oncology and lymphedema to provide patients with specialized, comprehensive care..
IWHC has continued to see a large volume of patients even during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the majority of patients were treated for vascular, traumatic and pressure wounds, the centers also specialize in treating diabetic patients with foot and leg ulcers, surgical wounds, amputation site wounds, atypical wounds, and burns.
A particular strength of Inova's wound healing program is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Inova commonly uses HBO for a variety of conditions such as late effects of radiation, diabetic foot ulcerations and sudden hearing loss. The patient inhales 100-percent oxygen for short periods of time in a pressurized chamber. This allows for increased amounts of oxygen to enter the body’s tissues to help heal, fight off infection, decrease swelling and aid in the growth of new blood vessels.
HBO is currently available at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and, as of March 2022, at Inova Loudoun Hospital. HBO chambers at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital were upgraded in 2019, providing patients with the latest, most advanced technology.
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Inova Wound Healing Centers I 703-664-8025 I inova.org/wound