S. Miami Hospital offers help for wounds that won't heal

BY CHRISTINE THOMPSON-KOTLER

The Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute Wound Center at South Miami Hospital is a comprehensive outpatient service dedicated to the treatment of wounds that won't heal. A multi-disciplinary team of wound care specialists and certified wound care nurses is highly experienced in the treatment of chronic or non-healing wounds. The Wound Center is located at South Miami Hospital, located at U.S. 1 and SW 62 Avenue.

Chronic wounds may be caused by diabetes, circulatory problems (venous ulcers and ulcers caused by peripheral vascular disease), pressure sores (which are common among people who are bedridden or in a wheelchair), trauma or unusual infections. Chronic wounds show no sign of significant healing in four to six weeks.

Treatment programs vary depending on the patient's condition. Treatment at the Wound Center may include wound assessment, compression therapy, diabetes care, infection control, podiatry consultations, physical therapy, vascular consultations, nutritional screening, skin care and skin grafting, patient education, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and access to clinical research trials.

"The first step in treating chronic wounds is making the correct diagnosis and

figuring out what's causing the problem," said Ian Reiss, M.D., medical director of the Wound Center. "We offer some of the most advanced treatment options, which have proven successful for many patients."

The Wound Center team includes physicians who specialize in wound care, certified wound care nurses, hyperbaric medicine specialists, dietitians, physical therapists, social workers and home health care professionals.

The Wound Center is a part of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, located at Baptist and South Miami Hospitals. Affiliated with Baptist Health Systems of South Florida, the Institute offers comprehensive services to prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease. Institute physicians have pioneered the use of less invasive techniques and devices to treat circulatory and heart disease, as well as other conditions such as fractured vertebrae, infertility and uterine fibroids.

The Wound Center at South Miami Hospital is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 305-662-5187 for more information.