Wound Care Treatment Helps to Heal More Than Just Wounds

Camping. Hiking. Fishing. Swimming. Zachary Lancaster is an outdoorsy guy who enjoys spending time with his kids – nine-year-old Braylon, and Addison, eight.

Multiple chronic health issues have stopped him from doing the things he loves with the people he loves. “My health problems started in my teens, after an accident that led to poor circulation in my legs and other complications,” says Zachary.

Growing up in Otway, Ohio, a village in Scioto County, the 30-year-old loved to race four-wheelers. An accident as a teenager caused severe leg issues – blood clots, poor circulation and calcification, or hardening, of his veins.

These circulation issues caused wounds that started out as blisters and progressed into large ulcers. When his hometown wound care physician moved his practice out of town, Zachary went to a major medical center in Ohio. However, when Zachary didn’t achieve the healing results he expected after almost three years of receiving wound care, his friends suggested he go to Cleveland Clinic.

While at home, he pulled out his laptop and searched for wound care at Cleveland Clinic. He found the Wound Healing Center at Medina Hospital and called for a second opinion.

“The nine-hour roundtrip commute to Medina every week was totally worth it. I’m able to keep up with my kids now. My goal is to go swimming again. Being able to spend time with them outside, and not just watching them, means the world to me.”

Unable to drive long distances, Zachary’s mother drove him four-and-a-half hours – each way – to the appointment. “When I first saw Zachary, he had non-healing stasis ulcers due to chronic venous insufficiency, or leg wounds that occurred because of poor functioning veins in his legs,” says Jocelyn Ehren, CNP, who sees patients at the Wound Healing Center at Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital.

The wound treatment was aggressive and comprehensive using both traditional and advanced therapies to accelerate the healing process. The diagnosis required Zachary and his mother to make the nine-hour round-trip trek to Medina weekly for his course of care. “If it weren’t for my mom, I wouldn’t have been able to receive the treatment I needed,” says Zachary.

A customized care plan was developed for Zachary, which included cleaning of the wounds, compression therapy using a multilayer bandage system for edema control, and antibiotic treatment. In addition, bioengineered human skin was used to improve his wounds and hasten skin regeneration.

“In just a matter of three to four weeks his wounds were almost completely healed,” says Ms. Ehren.

As part of his treatment, an optimized diet plan has been integrated. “Fueling your body with proteins and adding vitamins helps build a good foundation for optimal healing,” says Melissa Leuchtag, RN, a nurse at the Wound Healing Center at Medina Hospital.

“The nine-hour roundtrip commute to Medina every week was totally worth it. I’m able to keep up with my kids now. My goal is to go swimming again. Being able to spend time with them outside, and not just watching them, means the world to me,” reflects Zachary.

Cleveland Clinic Wound Healing Centers — at Euclid, Hillcrest, Lutheran, Medina and South Pointe hospitals — offer a multidisciplinary approach, with Cleveland Clinic and community-based physicians working together to provide complete wound care services.