When left untreated, chronic wounds can diminish your quality of life and prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy. At Houston Methodist, our team of wound specialists pinpoints the exact cause of your chronic injury and uses the latest techniques — including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and bioengineered skin replacement — to help you heal.
Advanced, Multifaceted Wound Care
Wound specialists in the Houston Methodist Wound Care Program work as a team to monitor, manage and treat chronic, non-healing wounds. Our program offers:
An expert team of doctors and nurses. All of our program physicians and nurses have received specialized training in wound management and healing. When necessary, our team works with specialists from other clinical areas, including infectious disease, general or plastic surgery, vascular surgery, radiology, oncology, podiatry, urology and internal medicine, to ensure you receive the treatment you need to heal your wound.
Personalized care plans coordinated by wound care nurses, who also serve as case managers, and other therapists who work closely with doctors to ensure the best outcome possible for each patient.
The ability to identify why wounds aren’t healing and treat them effectively, following the highest standards and rigorous adherence to the latest practices in wound care guidelines.
Wound Treatment Services We Offer
Cell-based bioengineered skin substitutes have the potential to enhance and expedite the body's healing process, as well as reduce complications.
Medical compression is an important component in chronic wound care. It is particularly effective in treating wounds associated with venous disease and lymphedema. We offer specialized compression therapy using the latest technology available in wound healing, including:
Elastic compression garments
Non-elastic compression wraps
Elastic multi-layer bandaging
Sequential compression pumps
Oxygen is vital to the growth of healthy skin and blood vessels, both of which are critical to proper wound healing. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, which promotes faster skin and blood vessel growth and restores healthy tissue to the wound site.
*HBOT is offered only at the following Houston Methodist locations:
Houston Methodist Hospital at Baytown – Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society Accredited Facility
Houston Methodist Hospital at Sugar Land
Houston Methodist Hospital at West
Houston Methodist Hospital at Willowbrook
Houston Methodist Hospital at The Woodlands
The experts in our Wound Care Program and vascular surgery departments work together to provide coordinated care for individuals who are at risk for amputation due to severe vascular disease and lower extremity wounds. Using sophisticated diagnostic technology, our team identifies the reason for your wound or pain and develops a coordinated treatment plan to prevent the infections and tissue loss that can ultimately lead to amputations.
*Limb salvage is offered only at the following Houston Methodist locations:
Houston Methodist Hospital at Baytown
Houston Methodist Hospital at Sugar Land
Houston Methodist Hospital at West
Houston Methodist Hospital at The Woodlands
Our certified lymphedema therapists can help reduce and control swelling that occurs as a result of lymphedema. Our goal is to prevent complications such as open wounds and heaviness of arms and legs that can affect mobility. Our wound care experts have extensive experience with complete decongestive therapy (CDT), which is considered the gold standard of treatment for lymphedema.
Some minor burns can be treated at home, but others are prone to infection, dehydration and other complications that are best addressed by a specialized wound care team. We offer care to help reduce pain, promote healing and prevent desiccation of minor burns.
Vacuum-assisted closure is a simple technique where a piece of foam with an open-cell structure is inserted into the wound, and a wound drain with perforations is laid on top. The entire area is then covered with a transparent adhesive drape, which is firmly secured to the healthy skin around the wound margin. When the exposed end of the drain tube is connected to a vacuum source, fluid is drawn from the wound through the foam into a reservoir for subsequent disposal.
Advanced wound coverings are made from materials specifically designed to absorb fluids and protect open skin while accelerating wound repair and reducing the risk of complications.
A total contact cast is a one-piece cast that offers an easy way to provide the gold standard of care for the management of diabetic foot ulcers. The design provides mechanical benefits by offloading the wound and eliminating shear forces to promote the healing process and reduce the risk of amputation.
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital is an UHMS Accredited Facility
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital is an Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) accredited facility, meaning it has met the highest standards of care and patient safety. It is the gold standard in hyperbaric accreditation.
