Gritman General Surgeons and Wound Healing Center Help Heal Stubborn Surgical Wound
When health care is challenging, it can take a team to get back on track. Moscow resident Dennis Dionne found his recovery team at Gritman Medical Center.
Dionne was facing a rough recuperation from cancer treatment after extensive surgery and radiation treatment on his lower pelvic region. While radiation can be an effective cancer-fighting technique, it has the tendency to reduce the body’s capacity to heal. Dionne faced continuous bleeding and festering at one of his surgical sites, and a Gritman team including Dr. Brian Newell of Gritman General Surgeons and Gastroenterology and Dr. John Brown III of the Gritman Wound Healing Center cooperated to drastically improve his health.
Dr. Newell started treatment by cleaning and draining the problem area. While Dionne showed some improvement, the healing didn’t progress as quickly as desired.
In July 2024, Dr. Brown joined the effort and recommended treatment in one of Gritman’s hyperbaric chambers. “A standard regimen of hyperbaric treatment,” explained Dr. Brown, “consists of 30 daily sessions in 100% oxygen at 2.5 atmospheres for 90 minutes.” With transition time, a full session in the chamber is 120 minutes.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy works by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and tissues, which can accelerate the body’s natural healing processes. The increased pressure in the hyperbaric chamber allows oxygen to dissolve into the blood plasma, reaching areas that may not receive enough oxygen due to injury or poor circulation. This enhanced oxygen supply helps fight infection, reduce swelling, stimulate new blood vessel formation, and promote the growth of healthy tissue.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy requires a lot of time. “But it’s not just sitting and waiting,” Dionne said. “It was pure joy to do these sessions with Chris Hauck, the Certified Hyperbaric Technician. We spent a lot of time during treatment watching movies, then we chatted about them.”
Dionne enjoyed such classics as “Jaws,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and the “Hell on Wheels” series. Hauck’s involvement went far beyond enjoying cinema, though. He was continuously monitoring Dionne’s condition and the equipment, and making sure Dionne donned a mask twice per session to breathe regular air, which prevents light-headedness and other symptoms.
The oxygen treatment resulted in significant improvement to Dionne’s surgical wound, reducing the size by 50%. The healing was on the right track but not yet complete, so Dr. Brown recommended another 30-session regimen of hyperbaric therapy. His unhealed wound is now very small, and it drains little, if any. Dr. Brown is still monitoring the wound and providing manual treatment as needed. Dionne has now been discharged from the Wound Healing Center and is continuing treatment with other providers.
Dionne, who is retired from a career in baking at area institutions, praised everybody he encountered at Gritman. “They are extremely helpful, polite and careful. They fix the problem you have without creating another.” He was grateful that they were focused not purely on his wound, but on him as a whole person. “When I first started with Dr. Newell, I was really cranky with him.” On Dr. Newell’s recommendation, Dionne obtained some medicine to help his mood, which he credits for improving his relationship not only with the doctor, but with his wife, as well.
He is also grateful for the care and attention of Corinda Schembri, a Registered Nurse working in the Wound Healing Center. “Wound Care requires the whole team, physician, nurses, and technicians, Dr. Brown said. “We all work together to help our patients.”
Gritman’s Wound Healing Center, located at 700 S. Main St., Moscow, offers advanced and comprehensive treatment, for both acute and chronic wounds. Our staff hold national and state licensing, and many providers hold advanced certifications. Gritman’s wound healing rate exceeds 91%. Wounds are healed within an average of 30 days. In 2016, Healogics recognized our Wound Healing Center as a Center of Excellence.
Learn More about Gritman Wound Healing Center
Subscribe to Gritman Email Newsletter
