1st in Illinois Ingalls wound center actively enrolling for clinical trial

The Ingalls Wound Center is the first in Illinois to offer a clinical trial investigating the emerging treatment of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to heal chronic, non-healing wounds.

Led by principal investigator Michael Romberg, M.D., general surgeon and wound care specialist, the study is examining the healing rate of chronic wounds that undergo treatment with concentrated, growth factor-rich PRP applied directly to the wound site.

“The study hopes to demonstrate that patients with chronic non-healing wounds treated with autologous PRP and standard wound care will heal faster than patients receiving standard wound care only,” Dr. Romberg explains. (Autologous means that the patient is both the donor and recipient. In this case, the patient donates platelet-rich plasma to treat his/her own non-healing wound.)

“Using the patient’s own PRP, this groundbreaking method hopefully will allow us to shorten the healing time of most chronic wounds,” he said.

All wound types have the potential to become chronic, but underlying factors such as diabetes, venous insufficiency or unrelieved pressure are major contributors to poor wound healing. Experts estimate that in the U.S. alone, up to six million people will develop a chronic wound during their lifetime, and more than 90 percent will be due to vascular or diabetic-related conditions.

Medicare is particularly interested in this groundbreaking treatment as chronic wounds have led to soaring medical costs. “An aging population, increased obesity rates, and the subsequent rise in diabetes and chronic venous insufficiency have contributed to the escalation in the number of chronic wounds,” Dr. Romberg added. 

A wound or ulcer is characterized as “chronic” if it has failed to progress through the healing process and establish functional integrity in a period of one to three months.

To qualify for the study, individuals must be at least 18 years of age, covered by Medicare and have a chronic, non-healing diabetic, venous or pressure wound that has resisted healing for at least one to three months.

Eligible participants will be enrolled in the study for 20 weeks with no charges for the study. For more information, contact the Ingalls Wound Center at 915-5584.