Benefis Wound Care Provides Healing Journey for Utica Man

For decades, Dan French lived with a fused ankle. He had the rare opportunity to undergo a total ankle replacement surgery last September, but healing from the surgery didn’t go as well as he’d hoped.

After his first post-surgical follow-up appointment, his surgeon referred Dan to Benefis Wound Care.

Alexander Chung, MD, is a wound care specialist at Benefis Health System who also has a background in orthopedic surgery. He diagnosed Dan with a compromised surgical flap, meaning the skin over his incision from the surgery was not healing properly. Without proper treatment, he was at risk of losing his foot.

“That was scary,” Dan says.

Dan started treatment in a hyperbaric chamber at Benefis almost immediately, and his healing began to improve right away. The treatment is a huge time commitment for patients, with most cases requiring between 40 and 60 sessions in the hyperbaric chamber. Treatment is administered Monday through Friday.

Dan and his wife, Bobbi, live in Utica, and traveling back and forth to Great Falls each day proved too difficult. They stayed for free at Benefis Foundation's Gift of Life West, which is across the street from Benefis’ West Campus, where he received his treatments. It’s a frequently used resource for wound care patients who live outside of Great Falls.

Before each of Dan’s two-hour sessions, Hyperbaric Technician/Safety Officer Robert “Bob” Dieruf performed safety protocols, including diabetic protocols to ensure Dan’s blood sugar remained at a safe level during treatment.

The hyperbaric chamber provides an oxygen-rich environment that promotes improved healing. The pressure in the chamber is equivalent to being 33 feet below sea level, so patients must ease into and out of that pressure state. They have to clear their ears like a scuba diver would as the pressure changes The same thing can happen in airplanes.

“I stay with them to ensure they remain safe from start to finish,” Bob says.

Patients can watch TV or take a nap during their treatment. Bob says Dan was a fan of naps.

The two of them bonded during the weeks of treatment. Dan says he would go back into the hyperbaric chamber anytime.

“He was a really good patient,” Bob says.

Dan finished his treatment in January, and while he is still strengthening his new ankle, his wound has healed, and his ability to walk has greatly improved.

“It’s looking great,” Dr. Chung said during a recent visit.

Benefis Wound Care has two hyperbaric chambers onsite, including one of the largest in the state. They offer treatment for surgical wounds; diabetic ulcers; arterial and venous ulcers; wounds secondary to vasculitis; traumatic injuries; wounds and tissue damage from radiation therapy; and bone infections or osteomyelitis. Learn more about treatments on the Benefis website.  

You don’t need a referral to access wound care services. Call 406-455-2688 to make an appointment. Most insurance plans cover wound care, but contact your insurance provider to learn about your coverage.