Caitlin Whyte (Host): Wound care is a critical part of
the medical system, especially for hard-to-heal wounds. So to learn more about
the importance of a specialized wound care clinic and the different techniques
to accelerate the wound healing process at CRMC's Wound Care and Hyperbaric
Clinic, we are joined by Dr. Thomas Wehmann, a board-certified vascular
surgeon. This is Discussions With The Doc, a podcast from Coffee Regional
Medical Center. I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte.

Host: Well, welcome, Dr. Wehmann. We are so excited to
have you on the show today to dive a little more into wound care at the CRMC
Wound Care and Hyperbaric Clinic.

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Thank you for having me today.

Host: Well, to start us off here, tell us a little bit
about yourself and your medical background.

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Certainly. I've been a physician for
about close to 40 years. I worked most of my career in general and vascular
surgery. The last 10 years, I've been here at Coffee Regional Medical Center.
I've seen countless cases in my career of wounds that were left untreated and
manifested into something more serious, leaving the patient to come to the
emergency room and oftentimes hospitalized or going to the operating room with
serious illness because of a wound that, with timely intervention, could have
been treated by a wound care specialist.

Host: Absolutely. Well, that is great to hear. I can
certainly see where your expertise and knowledge from general and vascular
surgery offers your patients some great benefits. So, Dr. Wehmann, can you tell
us a little bit about the need for specialized wound care?

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: It is important to understand that
major wounds generally take at least four to six weeks to heal. Most of our
patients at the wound care clinic have certain health conditions that impair
their body's ability to heal those wounds. Factors that can lead to slow
healing are things like bacterial infection, poor circulation and underlying
health conditions such as diabetes.

Host: Okay, great. I love that there is specialized medicine
for wound care. I know that you previously shared with us how the hyperbaric
therapy works in wound care in an earlier episode. So Dr. Wehmann, tell us more
about wound care techniques offered there at the clinic that don't involve the
hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Yes, I'd love to. We have many
techniques that we use to treat many hard-to-heal wounds. That includes
everything from bed sores for those bedridden and/or immobile patients, to
burns, to surgical wounds and diabetic foot ulcers. We have a high population
of diabetes in our region, and that results in us seeing a lot of diabetic
patients with slow healing wounds.

Many of our patients don't require hyperbaric oxygen or cannot
utilize that modality for various reasons. We generally assess the wound. We
clean the wound, we make necessary wound dressing changes, and ensure that the
wound is being treated with the necessary medications, both orally, topically
or intravenously.

Host: And can you tell us a little bit more about the
types of topical wound care?

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Sure. There have been a lot of
advances in topical wound care techniques that we often use. Over the last 15
years or so, there's been dramatic changes. Treatment depends on many different
factors, including where the wound is located, the depth of the wound, if the
wound is draining and if there's any infection. The goal of wound care is to
treat the wound until we achieve a healed or closed wound. The dressing we use
is not your typical cotton gauze that was used in the past. We now have
different types of wound care products and different wounds require different
approaches and treatment. We generally use material that accelerates the
healing while minimizing infection and pain.

Host: Wow. That's very interesting that there are
different materials used depending on the type of wound.

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Yes, there is. As a matter of fact,
one treatment that patients really seem to like is the use of medicinal honey.
We have a medical-grade honey that's natural. It inhibits the growth of
bacteria and can be used successfully for burns wounds and ulcers. Often, we
see wounds caused by drug-resistant bacteria. And so, alternate therapies like
honey, honey patches can be used in wound treatment.

Host: That is so cool. I didn't know honey could be used
in that way. Well, this has been very informative. Thank you for sharing with
us today, Dr. Wehmann. Do you have any closing remarks before we wrap up?

Dr. Thomas Wehmann: Yes, thank you for having me. We're
fortunate to have a specialized wound care clinic in Douglas, Georgia. I would
encourage our listeners to speak with your physician or your loved ones if you
have a hard-to-heal wound. Our services are covered by most insurances and can
truly change the trajectory of a patient's life. We're happy to offer consults
and speak with you to answer any questions. Just give us a call at (912)
720-7002 or stop by our clinic anytime, which is located next to Coffee
Regional Medical Center on West Side Drive in Douglas.

Host: Well, Dr. Wehmann, thank you so much for being on
the show today. Always great to hear from you. You can find out more about Dr.
Wehmann and our wound care services at coffeeregional.org. If you found this
podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full
podcast library for topics of interest to you. This has been Discussions With
The Doc, a podcast from Coffee Regional Medical Center. Thank you for
listening.

Speaker: We've decided to create this podcast to educate
our community and enlighten those throughout our great nation about rural
healthcare. We hope you subscribe and enjoy discussions with the doc. Thank you
for listening to this podcast sponsored by Coffee Regional Medical Center,
where our purpose is to serve, to heal, to save.

Host: This concludes today's episode of Discussions With
The doc. We invite you to download, subscribe, rate and review our podcast on
Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. For more episodes and information
on our providers and services, visit us online@coffeeregional.org. This program
aims to enhance your health and wellness knowledge by fulfilling the vision of
Coffee Regional Medical Center, healthy lifestyles, better lives.

Disclaimer: None of the information provided in this episode
should serve as a diagnosis or approval of the treatment for any ailment. The
information and opinions provided in the podcast do not create any type of
doctor patient relationship by listening to this podcast. You agree not to use
this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either
yourself or others including, but not limited, to patients that you are
treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be
having. The opinions of the guests do not necessarily represent the opinion of
Coffee Regional Medical Center.