Difficult-to-heal wounds are a big problem for many elderly people.
But now researchers in Sweden have found a new revolutionary method to make wounds heal faster: laser.
– It is good and painless above all, says 98-year-old Marianne Nästén about the method.
The method has been used for some time in Skellefteå and the results show that 95 percent of those with difficult-to-heal wounds are helped by laser treatment. Skellefteå Municipality, the Karolinska Institute and Luleå University of Technology are behind the research study.
For some patients, the treatment time can reduce the healing time by several months.
– Yes, it speeds up healing quite a bit, says physiotherapist and project manager Marianne Degerman, who works at the Development Unit in Skellefteå municipality. On venous wounds, we see that they heal 123 days faster! Which is so good that at first we thought the data was wrong, but no! she says.
Stimulates the lymphatic system
Skellefteå has set up a special laser team that performs the treatments. Sofia Viklund and Linda Lindberg-Forssell from the team show how the laser is used. Linda runs a more in-depth device, which will affect the lymphatic system so that the circulation gets started. Sofia uses one that doesn’t go as deep on Marianne Nästén’s wound on one hip.
– It is exciting and interesting to work with this, especially when you see how quickly a wound can heal with the help of lasers, says Linda Lindberg-Forssell.
Several municipalities in the country are now on the way to adopting the method. At Marianne Nästén’s home, the treatment is finished after about 10 minutes. And she sees only advantages with the laser.
– The treatment seems to work well and it doesn’t hurt, says Marianne Nästén.