Find a Wound Care Specialist

To find a Wound Care Specialist, visit our online physician finder or call our Access Line at 877-CAPECOD.

Wound Treatments

Cape Cod Healthcare's Wound Care centers provide the latest in healing technology, expertise and treatments. 

Cellular Tissue Products

  • Tissue Engineered Skin Substitutes advance wound healing by using living cells to promote healing
  • Regenerative Tissue Matrix supports cell repopulation with stem cells by providing a framework for tissue regeneration
  • Biological Membranes add growth factors and promote wound healing by stimulating cell migration to the ulcer site 

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)

Often referred to as a “wound vac.” A sponge is placed in the wound which is connected to a vacuum pump via small tubing. The pump exerts negative pressure on the sponge which exerts negative pressure on the wound. NPWT supports wound healing by evacuating wound fluids, stimulating tissue growth, reducing the bacteria, maintaining a moist wound environment and ultimately reducing the time to heal. Multiple versions exist, including those with motorized pumps and those with small spring loaded pumps (SNAP.)

Cellutome

This is a means to perform epidermal skin grafting in the clinic setting without the need for anesthesia. Many small blisters of skin are harvested via a special suction device. The harvested blisters are placed on the wound and act as “seeds” for new skin growth.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (Bourne location only)

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is one of the most advanced treatments available for healing wounds. Patients receiving this therapy breathe 100-percent oxygen within a pressurized chamber. This significantly increases the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, and thus the amount of oxygen delivered to the wound. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help reduce swelling, fight infections, build new blood vessels, produce healthy tissue and improve circulation.

Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy 

  • Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency – A situation where the tissue is acutely not receiving enough oxygen due to lack of arterial blood flow. This condition is typically associated with atherosclerosis, where the arteries acutely become blocked by plaques or emboli.
  • Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis - Wounds that are sited close to bone can lead to osteomyelitis or infection within the bone e.g. heel pressure ulcers, sacral pressure ulcers, dehisced knee replacement and diabetic foot ulcers. Refractory osteomyelitis is defined as osteomyelitis that persists or recurs after appropriate interventions have been performed or where osteomyelitis has not responded to a course of standard management.
  • Compromised skin grafts and flaps - A skin graft is a free transfer of skin without a native blood supply that must over time redevelop a blood supply to survive. Grafts are typically applied over wounds to accelerate closure of acute or chronic wounds. Tissue Flaps bring their blood supply with them and do not typically rely on the recipient wound bed for revascularization. A flap can become compromised from venous congestion, poor arterial inflow hematoma, infection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, or trauma to the affected area.
  • Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome and Other Acute Traumatic Ischemia - Crush injuries represent a spectrum of injury to body parts as result of trauma. Presentations vary from minor contusions to limb-threatening damage. Typically, the injury involves multiple tissues from skin and subcutaneous to muscle and tendons to bone and joints. In their most severe presentations, predictable complications including osteomyelitis, non-union of fractures, failed flaps and amputations occur in approximately 50 percent of the cases with "standard of practice” surgical and medical interventions. 

  • Advanced Diabetic Ulcers of the lower extremities – indicated for treatment of Wagner Grade III, IV, or V ulcers.

Wagner Grading System for Diabetic Foot Infections

- 0 - Intact Skin
- 1 - Superficial ulcer of skin or subcutaneous tissue
- 2 - Ulcers extend into tendon, bone, or capsule
- 3 - Deep ulcer with osteomyelitis, or abscess
- 4 - Gangrene of toes or forefoot
- 5 - Midfoot or hindfoot gangrene

  • Necrotizing Infections - Necrotizing fasciitis is an acute, potentially fatal infection of the superficial and deep fascia of the skin and soft tissues, which progresses to ischemic dermal necrosis after involvement of the dermal blood vessels which traverse the fascial layers. The popular media refer to this as "Flesh-eating bacteria.” 
  • Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) - Osteoradionecrosis is the result of an avascular, aseptic necrosis of bone that develops as a complication of radiation therapy. It is often seen in patients who have had head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy, and often involves the mandible. Patients who have had radiation of the head and neck and require tooth extractions are at risk of developing ORN. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment or ORN when combined with surgery in an optimal fashion. 
  • Soft-tissue Radiation Necrosis (STRN) – Injury to soft tissues as a result of radiation treatment. Can be seen in patients who develop skin ulcers after being treated for skin cancer. Other common diagnoses are radiation cystitis (bleeding from bladder after radiation) and radiation proctitis (bleeding from rectum after radiation.)

For additional information, visit the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.

Some insurance carriers (not Medicare) will cover the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a means to prevent the development of ORN in patients who have had head and neck radiation and require dental extractions