HEALTH/MEDICINE
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Healing chronic wounds
St. Luke’s Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center shines a light on wound care By Felicia Schneiderhan
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Committing to the healing process Vanyo was referred to Dr. Jarrod Buresh at St. Luke’s Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center in Duluth. The center provides support and education for patients and caregivers on caring for wounds at home. Their goal is to support a faster, more stable healing process. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also available. This advanced wound care technology helps patients with chronic, non-healing wounds. Everyone’s wound healing experience is unique, said Dr. Buresh. With appropriate care, most wounds should heal within 14 weeks. But if a wound is growing, if there’s drainage or if it’s stagnating and not healing, additional support may be needed. Vanyo’s wound was quite deep, with bacteria and layers of dead tissue to gradually remove. The healing process would require ongoing commitment over several months. Dr. Buresh 26 July 2023
St. Luke’s patient Jenny Vanyo visits with her brother Jeff Peterson. told her, “It’s going to get worse before it gets better. That wound is going to get angry when we start working on it. But we’ll be with you every step of the way and in the end, it will be absolutely worth it.” Vanyo was ready to start the healing process. For more than a year, she came weekly to the wound center for debridement. This process removes damaged tissue or foreign objects from a wound. Her appointment took about 15 minutes and would include cleansing, topical antibiotics and instructions for ongoing care at home. “In the beginning, I had to change the dressing three times a day,” she said. “I had to wear a tubular dressing around my neck for 14 months, to make sure the bandages stayed on. It’s been a long haul. Now, we’re getting near the end and Dr. Buresh was right — it has been well worth it.”
Continued support Vanyo’s brother, Jeff Peterson, has been with her every step of the way. “I’d rather not have my sister go through this,” he said, “but
PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. LUKE’S
ig problems can start small. In Jenny Vanyo’s case, the wound on her neck began with a small stitch that got infected. Her neck area was already sensitive after many years of treatment for recurring cancer. Multiple surgeries and radiation left the skin more susceptible, and after a biopsy, one of the stitches festered into a wound that would not heal. It would close over, then open again, and gradually grew to an infection several inches in diameter. Her aunt took a picture and showed it to some surgeons she works with. They said it needed to be taken care of right away.