02/14/2024
Last June, while packing for an international trip, Pamela Capasso fell in her home, breaking her ribs and fracturing her spine and patella. Instead of traveling, she ended up in a short-term rehabilitation facility.
While there, she developed a pressure injury on her heel from lying in bed. The facility only provided basic wound care, so after about six weeks, Capasso’s wound, she said, worsened.
“It was very painful, and I could not get any relief; it felt like someone was chewing on my bone,” Capasso said.
She was further concerned because she has diabetes, a chronic illness that can interfere with wound healing and lead to more serious complications.
Her primary care doctor recommended she seek treatment at Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Putnam Hospital.
Capasso’s treatment included daily hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to repair the wound. HBO involves lying in a special chamber and breathing in pure oxygen in air pressure two to three times higher than normal.
Learn more about Wound Care at Nuvance Health.
“From my first visit to the center, the staff impressed me. I felt safe, and I could tell that Dr. Hansraj Sheth and the nurses knew what they were doing,” she said. “They gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to understand my diagnosis and treatment plan. Everyone at the center truly worked together to help me heal and made me feel a part of their family.”
Capasso said each week her wound got better. One of the best parts of her experience was her hyperbaric technician, Caroline, who went “above and beyond every single day to make sure I was able to receive the care I needed,” she said.
“I felt on top of the world the day my wound completely healed. I am so grateful to be back to my normal life,” she said. “I am also happy that I trusted Dr. Sheth and the center staff, and I would highly recommend anyone with a wound to see the team at Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Putnam Hospital.”