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Release Date: 12/14/2006
St. Anthony's Wound Treatment Center Welcomed by Community
Gerald Lionelli, M.D., left, plastic surgeon and medical director of St. Anthony's Wound Treatment Center, confers with patienLinda Hutson regarding her treatment for a non-healing wound on her abdomen.
More than 100 patients have been treated for chronic wounds at St. Anthony’s Medical Center’s Wound Treatment Center in its first four months of operation.
“We knew this was something the community wanted and needed, but the demand for services has surpassed our expectations,” said Ellie Sicola, director of the Center. “The majority of our patients have come from our primary service area, and they are thrilled to have these services available to them so close to home.
“But we also have been seeing patients from as far as two hours away,” Sicola said. “Physicians throughout the region are referring their patients here – patients as young as 12 and as old as 100. Some of these patients have had chronic ulcers for years and now are healed or are on their way to healing, after seeking treatment at our center. We have had a wonderful reception from the community.”
More than five million people in the United States suffer from chronic wounds – wounds that show no signs of healing for four to six weeks. For people with diabetes, poor circulation or long-term immobilization, a chronic wound can be a serious and life-altering medical condition.
Ralph Kleinsorge, 61, an Arnold resident, is one member of the community who is “so thankful” for the Wound Treatment Center. “I can’t say enough good things about the staff there,” Kleinsorge said. “They were so compassionate, so sympathetic, and they took such great care of me.”
Kleinsorge was referred to the Wound Treatment Center by his physician, due to a non-healing ulcer on his left ankle – his fourth in the past 17 years, due to a medical problem with his vein. “Normally it takes five months to heal, but this one took only three months,” he said. “It started in August with just a little discomfort. At its peak, it was 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.”
In the past, Kleinsorge said he endured debridement (opening and cleaning with a scalpel) of his wounds without any medication for the pain. “They would do that once a week, then wrap it,” he said. “I finally said, ‘I can’t take this anymore – can’t you give me a painkiller?’ But at St. Anthony’s, Dr. Perry Geistler, a podiatrist, put numbing gauze on the wound, then gave me a shot and I felt no pain at all. When it was bigger, he did the debridement in the Operating Room, because he said it would be too painful otherwise. He’s a very compassionate man.”
Kleinsorge’s wound now is completely healed, and Dr. Geistler is checking into the possibility of Kleinsorge having laser surgery on his vein to prevent the formation of new sores. “He’s even writing to my insurance company, urging them to cover the cost of the surgery,” Kleinsorge said. “And the Wound Treatment Center staff made some calls and found out that my insurance would pay for my dressings at home. I’ve been paying for them myself all this time. I thought that was wonderful. You can just tell they care about you – nothing was to much for them to do for me.”
Linda Hutson, 50, who lives in south St. Louis, experienced her first chronic wound after having back surgery through her abdomen last June. A stapf infection followed, leaving her with a non-healing hole in her stomach the size of a half dollar.
“Initially, I had to treat the wound myself at home,” Hutson said. “It was so depressing and it just made me feel so sad, depressed and hopeless. Then my doctor referred me to Dr. Gerald Lionelli, a plastic surgeon and medical director of the Wound Treatment Center. He did the debridement right there, on my first visit. I went twice a week and the staff put medication on it and re-bandaged it. Nine weeks later, it’s completely healed.
“I can’t say enough about the professional team at the Wound Treatment Center – they are wonderful people! They take time with you, they talk to you – they’re not running in and out like they’re in a big hurry. They ask you about your problems and concerns, and you can feel that they care about you. People in the community need to know that there’s a place to go when they have sores that won’t heal – a place where the people really take care of you.”
St. Anthony’s Wound Treatment Center team includes vascular, plastic and general surgeons; orthopedic specialists; infectious disease specialists, and podiatrists, along with a certified wound care nurse, registered nurses and assistants, a diabetes educator and a dietitian.
“The Wound Treatment Center uses many advanced dressings and interventions to treat our patients’ chronic wounds,” Sicola said. “We see our patients weekly in order to closely monitor their progress and intervene, when necessary, to get the results we are looking for – healing.”
Patients may be referred by their physicians to the Wound Treatment Center or they may self-refer. Many health insurance plans cover wound care treatment.
St. Anthony’s Wound Treatment Center is located in Suite 175 of St. Anthony’s Medical Plaza, 12700 Southfork Road. For more information or for an appointment, call 314-525-1798.
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit our find a physician online.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.