Expertise Gives Hope for Healing

The Advanced Wound Center gives patients their lives back

For many patients with diabetic, surgical or other wounds, it takes more than just time to heal. Fortunately, there is a team of medical professionals at the Advanced Wound Center on Highway K in O’Fallon, Mo., dedicated to treating chronic and hard-to-heal wounds.

This team — through expertise, state-of-the-art technology and compassion — has achieved an astounding 96% success rate for healing patients with these complications.

To attain this success, their approach is simple: gather BJC experts, passionate about healing chronic wounds, to work with each patient to determine the best course of treatment that will get them back to living their lives. 

“We’ve had great success in the healing of many patients,” says Stephanie Sandberg, DO, medical director at the Advanced Wound Center and general surgeon at Progress West Hospital. “Some patients have been hindered by these wounds for years and didn’t know where, or even if, they could be treated.”
The Advanced Wound Center treats a variety of patients suffering from diabetic wounds, non-healing surgical wounds or other chronic wounds or ulcers.

Since the cause of wounds can vary greatly, the team at the Advanced Wound Center completes a thorough evaluation of every wound to determine its underlying cause before developing a personalized treatment plan for each individual patient.

“We’ll do an extensive workup, which might include radiology testing, circulation testing and lab work,” says Heather Decker, RN, nurse manager at the Advanced Wound Center. “If we can find the cause of the wound, we can better address it and hopefully
heal the wound more quickly.”

A Patient-Centered Approach
In addition to a customized evaluation and treatment plan, every patient at the Advanced Wound Center learns how to minimize the recurrence of the wound. Patients typically have weekly visits to the Advanced Wound Center.

Visits might include learning how to properly dress and clean the wound or involve more intensive treatments, like hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

“With HBOT, a patient breathes in 100% oxygen, enhancing the body’s natural healing process,” says Jenni Koskela, LPN, a hyperbaric oxygen technician at the Advanced Wound Center. “We were the first to offer HBOT in St. Charles County, and this technology has been critical in the care of our patients.”

Along with these advanced treatment options, patients receive care from a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and technicians. The Advanced Wound Center has five BJC Medical Group wound care physicians on staff with specialties in surgery, infectious diseases and orthopedics. These experts collaborate on cases, giving patients the benefit of seeing five specialists in just one visit.

Treatment can span several months, which means the team at the Advanced Wound Center gets to know and develop a relationship with each patient. For many of them, it’s their favorite part of their job. 

“I love coming to work here,” says Dr. Sandberg. “The patients see our passion for our jobs and our positive attitudes. It helps make the healing process much easier.”

Patient Highlights

Betty Boyer, 74
Cancer Patient
Betty Boyer, 74, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010. Following radiation therapy, she developed a large and very painful burn on her back. After numerous visits to other physicians who could offer no relief, Betty discovered the Advanced Wound Center.  While Betty is still receiving treatments, her back is almost completely healed, thanks to a combination of HBOT and surgical care. “Their plan has really been working,” says Betty. “After years of suffering, I finally have hope for a life without pain.”

Stephen Gerke, 68
Type 2 Diabetes
Like many patients treated at the Advanced Wound Center, Stephen Gerke, 68, has Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can make healing more difficult because of lack of circulation, particularly in the lower leg and foot. After injuring his leg while helping his daughter move, Stephen noticed the wound wasn’t healing. His physician referred him to the Advanced Wound Center.

Stephen made weekly visits to the Advanced Wound Center for his treatment. The team also provided him with supplies and step-by-step instruction on how to care for his wound at home. “It was the best decision by far to come to the Advanced Wound Center,” says Stephen. “The team was absolutely outstanding, responding to my concerns and relieving any apprehensions.” Now that Stephen is healed, he has returned to his active life, golfing and playing with his grandchildren.

Treatments at the Advanced Wound Center 

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Debridement
• Revascularization
• Bioengineered skin substitutes
• Compression therapy
• Negative pressure wounds

For more information, or to find out if you're a candidate for wound treatment -- contact the Advanced Wound Care Center online or via phone at 636.614.3096.