When to Seek Professional Wound Care Treatment

For most people, wound care is a straightforward process – clean the wound at home, dress it with a bandage, and allow the natural healing process to do the rest of the work. For more severe lacerations, a visit to an urgent care center and stitches may even be necessary. However, chronic health conditions can make the healing process far more complicated for many individuals.

BayCare offers a variety of wound management services at our wound care centers located throughout the Tampa Bay area. These treatments are reserved for individuals who are dealing with chronic wounds that have not healed over the course of three to five weeks. These wounds may take the form of:

• Diabetic foot ulcers - wounds that form on the feet due to insufficient circulation and nerve damage associated with diabetes
• Pressure sores - also called bedsores, these wounds may affect bedridden individuals who have prolonged pressure placed on one area of the body
• Venous stasis wounds - also called stasis ulcers, these wounds form when the veins in the legs do not return blood to the heart properly
• Falling surgical grafts - a piece of skin that has been surgically transplanted but is not healing properly on the new site

Most of the services offered at the wound care centers will require a physician referral, so if you have a slow-healing or non-healing wound, discuss the option of specialized wound management with your doctor.

Advanced Wound Care Therapy in Tampa Bay

BayCare offers a variety of advanced treatments for chronic wounds including vacuum-assisted closure, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, wound grafting and debridement (most services require a physician’s referral). We are also committed to educating our patients and members of the Tampa Bay area community about wound risk factors and prevention, so please feel free to browse our online resources such as The Three Stages of Wound Healing and How Diabetes Affects Wound Healing.

For information about your treatment options at BayCare, call (855) 546-6296 or find a doctor near you. We proudly serve individuals in Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Plant City, and all of the surrounding areas.

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