Nearly 850,000 people in New Mexico have diabetes or pre-diabetes, which is associated with impaired wound healing
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - This month, we’d like to highlight the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Center serves residents of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, and Southern New Mexico. Many patients present to the Center with non-healing wounds stemming from diabetes and related vascular disorders.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 241,000 people in New Mexico, or 14.2% of the population, have diabetes. In addition, 603,000, or 39.7 percent of the adults in New Mexico, have pre-diabetes with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed. Diabetes is often associated with impaired wound healing, and wound care programs.
After moving wound care operations into a brand-new outpatient wound care suite last year, the Center recently added a hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy treatment room with two HBO chambers. HBO therapy exposes the body to pure oxygen in a pressurized environment in an effort to speed wound healing. It is sometimes prescribed when a wound, such as a nonhealing diabetic foot or leg ulcer, does not heal with standard wound care.
"We have a highly dedicated, specialized team including a full-time physician, nurses, technicians and nutritionists who work with a patient's primary physician and family or caregiver to develop a treatment plan to foster healing and decrease the probability of serious complications," said Yasmine Estrada, program director. "We’re dedicated to providing excellence in wound care and helping our patients live better lives."
About the Center for Wound Healing
The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine is an outpatient clinic specializing in the management and treatment of a variety of wounds, including diabetic and pressure ulcers, venous/arterial ulcers, non-healing surgical incisions, and burns. Many non-healing wounds are caused by diabetes, poor circulation, infection, nutritional deficiencies, immobility, and pressure injury.
The Center for Wound Healing specializes in wound debridement, VAC (negative pressure) therapy, bioengineered skin substitutes (grafts), hyperbaric medicine, and IV antibiotics. For more information, call 575-556-7600 and ask for the Center for Wound Healing.
