FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES
If you’re living with a wound that isn’t healing, this section is for you.
Chronic wounds affect millions of people. They are painful, disruptive, and often frightening. The information in this section will not replace the guidance of your clinical team, but it can help you understand what is happening, what your options are, and what questions to ask.
FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES
If you’re living with a wound that isn’t healing, this section is for you.
Chronic wounds affect millions of people. They are painful, disruptive, and often frightening. The information in this section will not replace the guidance of your clinical team, but it can help you understand what is happening, what your options are, and what questions to ask.
What makes a wound hard to heal?
Most wounds heal on their own over a predictable period of time. A hard-to-heal wound is one that has not followed this normal course. This is often because of an underlying condition that affects the body’s ability to repair itself. Common conditions that contribute to wound chronicity include diabetes, circulation problems, venous insufficiency, and reduced mobility.
A wound that has not improved after four weeks of appropriate care is generally considered a hard-to-heal or chronic wound. At that point, your clinical team may consider more advanced approaches to treatment.
What makes a wound hard to heal?
Most wounds heal on their own over a predictable period of time. A hard-to-heal wound is one that has not followed this normal course. This is often because of an underlying condition that affects the body’s ability to repair itself. Common conditions that contribute to wound chronicity include diabetes, circulation problems, venous insufficiency, and reduced mobility.
A wound that has not improved after four weeks of appropriate care is generally considered a hard-to-heal or chronic wound. At that point, your clinical team may consider more advanced approaches to treatment.
Diabetic foot ulcers develop most often on the foot or lower leg in people with diabetes. Reduced sensation means injuries may go unnoticed, and reduced circulation affects the body’s ability to repair them.
Venous leg ulcers are caused by problems with the circulation in the legs. Blood pools in the veins, increasing pressure and causing the skin to break down.
Pressure injuries develop when sustained pressure over a bony area reduces blood supply to the skin and underlying tissue. They are most common in people who are bedbound or have limited mobility.
Your clinical team will explain which type of wound you have and what is contributing to it. Understanding your wound helps you participate actively in your own care.
Questions worth asking at your next appointment.
Questions worth asking at your next appointment.
A good clinical relationship is a two-way conversation. These questions can help you understand your care and feel more confident in the decisions being made.
ABOUT YOUR WOUND
What type of wound do I have, and what is causing it to be slow to heal?
What is the current size of my wound, and how has it changed since my last visit?
What does the wound bed look like right now — is it improving, staying the same, or getting worse?
ABOUT YOUR TREATMENT
What standard treatments have been tried, and for how long?
At what point would you consider a more advanced treatment?
If an advanced wound covering is recommended, what is it, and how will it be applied?
How many applications might be needed, and over what period of time?
ABOUT YOUR ROLE
What can I do between visits to support healing? (offloading, compression, nutrition, blood sugar management)
What should I watch for at home that would mean I need to call sooner?
Who do I contact if something changes between appointments?
A placental membrane wound covering: what it is and how it is used.
A placental membrane wound covering: what it is and how it is used.
A placental membrane wound covering is a type of advanced wound treatment made from human placental tissue. The placenta is donated by mothers after healthy, full-term births. The tissue is carefully processed and preserved before being used as a wound covering in clinical practice.
A placental membrane wound covering is a type of advanced wound treatment made from human placental tissue. The placenta is donated by mothers after healthy, full-term births. The tissue is carefully processed and preserved before being used as a wound covering in clinical practice.
DermaBind is one such covering. It is placed over a wound to protect it and provide a supportive environment. It is not a drug and does not contain any added medications or chemicals. It works as a physical covering, and the clinical team will monitor the wound at each visit to assess whether it is helping.
DermaBind is one such covering. It is placed over a wound to protect it and provide a supportive environment. It is not a drug and does not contain any added medications or chemicals. It works as a physical covering, and the clinical team will monitor the wound at each visit to assess whether it is helping.
How it is applied
The covering is applied during a clinical appointment. Your wound will be cleaned and prepared first. The membrane is then placed over the wound and secured. The procedure is straightforward and takes place in the clinic or, in some cases, during a home visit. Most patients need more than one application over a period of several weeks.
Is it safe?
Donated tissue used in DermaBind undergoes comprehensive screening and testing before it is processed. Donors are screened through a detailed health and lifestyle evaluation, and all laboratory testing is completed before the tissue is accepted. The product is sterilised and tested to strict safety standards.
Your clinical team will discuss any specific considerations relevant to your situation before recommending this type of treatment.
PATIENT INFORMATION BROCHURE
Plain-language overview of DermaBind TL: what it is, how it is applied, and what to expect.
PATIENT INFORMATION BROCHURE
Plain-language overview of DermaBind FM: what it is, how it is applied, and what to expect.
What to expect.
Healing a chronic wound takes time. It is rarely a straight line. There will be visits where the numbers improve, and visits where progress is harder to see. What matters is that your clinical team is monitoring your wound carefully and adjusting your care based on what they observe.
Your role in the process is significant. Compliance with treatment, such as attending appointments, maintaining offloading or compression, managing blood sugar, and eating well, has a real impact on outcomes. It is worth asking your team what you can do to give the treatment the best chance of working.
WHAT DOES IMPROVEMENT LOOK LIKE?
Your clinical team will measure your wound at each visit. Reduction in wound size is the primary indicator of progress. Changes in the wound bed are also signs that healing is occurring. Pain levels may also change over the course of treatment.
WHAT IF THE WOUND DOESN’T RESPOND?
Not every wound responds to every treatment. If your wound does not show adequate improvement, your clinical team will reassess and consider alternative approaches. This is a normal part of complex wound management, and it does not mean that healing is impossible but it may mean the approach needs to be reconsidered.
What to expect.
Healing a chronic wound takes time. It is rarely a straight line. There will be visits where the numbers improve, and visits where progress is harder to see. What matters is that your clinical team is monitoring your wound carefully and adjusting your care based on what they observe.
Your role in the process is significant. Compliance with treatment, such as attending appointments, maintaining offloading or compression, managing blood sugar, and eating well, has a real impact on outcomes. It is worth asking your team what you can do to give the treatment the best chance of working.
WHAT DOES IMPROVEMENT LOOK LIKE?
Your clinical team will measure your wound at each visit. Reduction in wound size is the primary indicator of progress. Changes in the wound bed are also signs that healing is occurring. Pain levels may also change over the course of treatment.
WHAT IF THE WOUND DOESN’T RESPOND?
Not every wound responds to every treatment. If your wound does not show adequate improvement, your clinical team will reassess and consider alternative approaches. This is a normal part of complex wound management, and it does not mean that healing is impossible but it may mean the approach needs to be reconsidered.
Find a provider near you
We are building a network of clinicians and wound care practices experienced in the use of DermaBind. If you would like to find a provider in your area, contact us and we will do our best to help.
We are building a network of clinicians and wound care practices experienced in the use of DermaBind. If you would like to find a provider in your area, contact us and we will do our best to help.
We’re here. What would you like to know?
We’ll connect you with the right information.
We’ll connect you with the right information.