McLaren Macomb, the 288-bed hospital serving all of Macomb County, has again added to its list of services with the addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT, to its Wound Care Center. The noninvasive therapy supplies oxygen in a safe pressurized environment to stimulate the healing of chronic wounds.
Wounds fail to heal because the level of oxygen received at the damaged tissue is too low.
Unhealed wounds put patients at an increased risk for infections and other potentially serious complications while also causing pain and discomfort, and forcing people to avoid certain activities, limiting their overall quality of life.
“Several factors determine a wound’s ability to heal, not least of which is the patient’s biology, specifically their oxygen level,” said Dr. Joseph Cuppari, vascular surgeon and medical director of the McLaren Macomb Wound Care Center. “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy gives us the ability to address several barriers keeping patients’ wounds from completely healing. It’s a considerable advantage to now offer this treatment options, and it’s a significant benefit to our patients.”
Sealed inside an environment safely pressurized at a level two to three times more than normal, patients breathe in pure oxygen. These conditions allow the lungs to absorb more oxygen, sending oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, promoting healing among other benefits.
Patients are enclosed in the clear chamber, reclined and able to watch television and communicate via an intercom. Painless procedures last approximately two hours, and patients are overseen by a staff specially trained in the specific needs of HBOT patients.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been clinically proven to be significantly more effective than traditional wound care treatment options.
The addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the latest in an on-going expansion of McLaren Macomb’s expansion of services and access to care. Last summer, the hospital opened the Wayne and Joan Webber Emergency and Trauma Center, and it opened an inpatient rehabilitation unit in February. Also, in the winter, delivery was taken of a new Medical Outreach Clinic, MOC — a doctor’s office on wheels that delivers care to the community’s underserved population.
Learn more about the McLaren Macomb Wound Care Center, visit mclaren.org/macombwoundcare.
About McLaren Macomb
McLaren Macomb is a 288-bed acute care hospital located in Mount Clemens, Mich. More than 400 physicians and nearly 2,000 employees work at McLaren Macomb making it one of Macomb County’s top employers. McLaren Macomb provides a full range of services, including cancer and cardiovascular care. As Macomb County’s first verified trauma center, the hospital operates the busiest emergency department in Macomb County and is also an accredited chest pain center. McLaren Macomb has a rich history of providing high quality, compassionate health care and holds a strong position in the community it serves. To learn more, visit mclaren.org/macomb.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 15 hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 588,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 90,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.