


1708 Jefferson St.        400 N. Pleasant Mt. Vernon                  Centralia (618) 899-3710          618-436-6318

Wound Healing Center

The Wound Healing Center specializes in treating acute and chronic hard-to-heal wounds. Many conditions can prevent a wound from healing, such as diabetes, vascular problems, medications, infections and poor nutrition.

A wound that will not heal creates increased risk for infection and more serious complications.

The Wound Healing Center follows national guidelines based on clinical evidence when treating and managing wounds. Our centers offer state-of-the-art wound treatment which improves quality of life, such as:
• advanced wound dressings
• transcutaneous oximetry to assess skin oxygen levels
• negative pressure dressings
• hyperbaric chamber therapy
• semi synthetic skin grafts
• experienced staff who have specialized qualifications in wound care and vascular care
• patient education to manage the care of wounds and prevent wound recurrence
• ostomy associated skin issues

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

The hyperbaric oxygen chamber allows the patient to breathe in pure oxygen. After several treatments, the increased oxygen levels stimulate the body’s natural healing process, allowing new blood vessels to grow in the injured tissue. Treatments last 120 minutes, and may be required every day for several weeks, depending on each patient’s unique condition.

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan offers the only hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber in the region at our Centralia campus.

Indications for hyperbaric chamber:

SMGSI Wound Healing Center treats outpatients only
CMS approved

• Chronic refractory osteomyelitis, unresponsive to conventional medical and surgical management
• Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency after failing revascularization
• Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities
     - Patient has type I or type II diabetes and has a lower extremity wound that is due to diabetes
• Patient has wound classified as Wagner grade III or higher
     - Wagner III- Deeper ulcer with abscess, osteomyelitis, or tendonitis extending to the tendon or bone.
     - Wagner IV- Gangrene of some portion or the toe(s) and/or forefoot, which may be wet or dry
     - Wagner V- Gangrene involves the whole foot or enough of the foot that no local procedures are possible.
• Patient has failed an adequate course of standard wound therapy
• Osteoradionecrosis as an adjunct to conventional treatment
• Soft tissue radionecrosis as an adjunct to conventional treatment
     - Hemorrhagic cystitis due to radionecrosis
     - Rectal bleeding due to radionecrosis
• Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts or flaps
• Actinomycosis

Guidelines for Referral

The services of the Wound Healing Center require referral by a physician. We pledge to provide prompt service and consistent communication with your physician about your progress.
Appropriate clinic referrals include:
• Wounds that fail to improve after 4 weeks of conventional treatment
• Chronic wounds of every description
• Chronic wound in patients with previous amputations
• Chronic wounds with exposed/infected bone
• peripheral vascular disease
• pressure ulcers
• non healing surgical wounds
• evaluation for lymphedema
• ostomy skin issues

The types of wounds treated in the clinic include:
• Vascular leg ulcers (caused by inadequate blood flow through leg veins or arteries)
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Pressure ulcers
• Surgical or traumatic wounds
• Wounds caused by edema (swelling), cancer, radiation treatment (skin breakdown), burns, infections and scleroderma (a disease of connective tissue in which scar tissue forms in the skin)
• Ulcers due to vasculitic disease
• Peristomal dermatitis
• All other wound healing modalities