Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine

Located in the Dialysis/Health Services Building at 623 Main Street in Olean, the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine features two hyperbaric chambers, and two specially trained wound care physicians:

Arthur Goldstein, M.D.

Pierre Dionne, M.D.

The Causes of Chronic Wounds

The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine focuses on the evaluation and treatment of chronic wounds. Wounds, in otherwise healthy individuals, usually heal uneventfully on their own. In patients with chronic, non-healing wounds, there is frequently an underlying health problem preventing the wound from healing in a natural fashion.

Common Medical Conditions

Some of the more common medical conditions in these individuals are:

• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• peripheral arterial and venous disease
• emphysema
• arthritis
• cancer
• unhealthy lifestyle conditions such as excess body weight, poor dietary habits, and cigarette smoking

The above conditions may exist alone or in combination with one or more other conditions, further complicating the picture. In addition, ongoing medical treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and chronic steroid usage may further compromise the wound healing process.

Benefits of Wound Treatment at the Center

The center's goal is to offer the highest level of wound care and overall patient service. The team strives to improve the patient’s health, life style and quality of life. Several programs can relieve the patient’s pain and prevent recurrences of chronic wounds through patient education and proper care.

Advanced level of care. Patients of the Center benefit from an advanced level of care provided by a staff trained and specializing in the latest products and treatment methods available for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Individuality. We identify and treat each of the factors contributing to the chronic wound and coordinate our treatment efforts with the referring physician.

Comprehensive approach. The goal of the Center is to employ a comprehensive approach to the evaluation of the chronic wound patient, and not simply to the wound itself. Therefore, it is import that the patient closely follows the physician’s instructions with respect to wound care, underlying health problems and life style changes.

Treatment

As part of a patient's treatment, they may undergo laboratory tests, x-rays or other diagnostic tests to help develop a comprehensive and individualized course of treatment. Once the wound is healed, a follow-up plan is also instituted to reduce the risks of recurrence. The treatment philosophy is not only to heal the wound but to also produce a healthier patient who is able to return to a productive lifestyle.

The Center offers specialized testing such as transcutaneous oxygen monitoring (tcp02). The tcpO2 monitor measures the oxygen in the tissues immediately adjacent to the wound and helps the physicians understand if the wound has an adequate oxygen supply for healing to occur. If the oxygen levels are inadequate, the patient may be a candidate for hyperbaric oxygen treatment or require further workup to test for arterial blockage.

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