Wound care is a specialized area of medicine focused on managing injuries and promoting the body’s natural healing process. The medical professional you should see depends entirely on the wound’s severity, duration, and underlying cause. While minor scrapes are simple, complex, non-healing wounds often require a multidisciplinary approach involving several specialists. Determining the appropriate level of care is the first step toward effective treatment and recovery.
Initial Care for Minor and Acute Wounds
For common, recently sustained injuries that are not immediately life-threatening, several medical settings serve as primary entry points for care.
A Primary Care Physician (PCP) is the starting place for routine follow-up care, minor infections, or suture removal. They can also provide an initial assessment for wounds that are not healing as expected and offer a referral to a specialist.
Urgent care centers are equipped to handle non-life-threatening injuries. These facilities commonly treat lacerations that need stitches, minor burns, or suspected infections when a PCP is unavailable. Staffed by physicians, urgent care provides a middle ground between routine care and emergency intervention.
The Emergency Room (ER) should be reserved for severe injuries that pose an immediate threat to life or limb. This includes deep wounds with heavy or uncontrolled bleeding, embedded foreign objects, or wounds covering a large surface area. The ER provides immediate stabilization and trauma services for these serious, acute situations.
Specialists for Chronic and Non-Healing Wounds
Wounds that fail to progress toward healing after about 30 days are considered chronic and require specialized expertise.
Certified Wound Care Specialists are physicians, nurses, or physical therapists with advanced training and certification. They apply advanced therapies like negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), bioengineered tissue products, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to facilitate closure.
For lower extremity wounds, particularly those related to diabetes, a Podiatrist is necessary. They possess specialized knowledge of foot and ankle biomechanics, essential for managing diabetic foot ulcers and pressure sores. Their management includes wound debridement—the removal of dead tissue—and prescribing offloading devices to relieve pressure on the wound site.
When poor circulation is the underlying problem, a Vascular Surgeon is needed. Conditions like peripheral artery disease (PAD) or chronic venous insufficiency deprive tissues of the oxygen and nutrients needed for repair, stalling healing. Vascular surgeons diagnose these blood flow issues and perform revascularization procedures, such as angioplasty or bypass surgery, to restore healthy circulation.
Specialized Medical Teams for Complex Injuries
Complex wounds resulting from severe trauma often require specialized surgical teams.
A Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon is consulted for injuries involving extensive soft tissue loss, exposed tendons or bone, or wounds in sensitive areas like the face or hands. They perform procedures such as skin grafting and tissue flap reconstruction to cover large defects and ensure tissue viability.
For injuries caused by thermal, chemical, or electrical sources, care is provided by Burn Specialists. These specialized facilities offer a multidisciplinary approach, including burn surgeons and critical care specialists. Treatment protocols involve hydrotherapy for wound cleaning, specialized wound dressings, and advanced techniques to minimize scarring and restore function.
Orthopedic Surgeons are involved when a traumatic wound involves underlying bone fractures, joint damage, or exposed orthopedic hardware. Their expertise is in restoring the structural integrity of the musculoskeletal system. For open fractures, where the bone pierces the skin, they stabilize the bone with internal or external fixation devices to manage the surrounding soft tissue injury and prevent deep infection.