Ricardo Duran, MD

At Wellstar, our comprehensive wound care and hyperbaric services are designed to help you heal. We combine advanced technology and a compassionate approach to support your recovery every step of the way.

Our team of experts specializes in managing severe and chronic wounds. Chronic wounds are caused when the body’s healing process is delayed, often as a result of common health problems such as diabetes or poor circulation. We work closely with patients and families to create personalized treatment plans using the most effective therapies.

From diabetic foot ulcers to non-healing surgical incisions, you can count on Wellstar to treat every wound with expertise and care.

Lifesaving wound care close to home

Chronic wounds affect millions of people nationwide. With convenient wound care and hyperbaric centers located throughout Georgia, Wellstar ensures world-class care is never far from home. We offer wound care services at multiple facilities including Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center, and also at clinics in LaGrange and Marietta.

Patients come to us with a range of chronic wounds, including:

• Chronic bone infections (osteomyelitis)
• Circulatory problems and vascular ulcers
• Compromised skin grafts/flaps
• Crush injuries
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Injuries from late effects of radiation
• Non-healing surgical incisions
• Pressure ulcers
• Venous stasis ulcers

Unlike normal wounds, chronic or traumatic wounds show no significant signs of healing over a period of several weeks. When wounds are not treated successfully, they can lead to illness, limb loss or life-threatening infection.

“Many wounds require specialized care that general practitioners or urgent care clinics simply cannot provide,” said Dr. Ricardo Duran, medical director of wound care and hyperbaric medicine at Wellstar North Fulton. “Without expert attention, what begins as a small ulcer can spiral into a serious condition requiring hospital admissions—or worse, amputation.”

By partnering with a Wellstar wound specialist, you can take the first step toward healing.

“We’re dedicated to preventing these outcomes by addressing wounds early, thoroughly and with expertise,” Dr. Duran said. “Our goal is to restore not only health, but also hope and quality of life.”

Innovative therapies and techniques

At Wellstar, we use the latest therapies and cutting-edge techniques to promote healing and prevent complications. Our approach is multidisciplinary, meaning that board-certified physicians, nurses and specialists collaborate to design a care plan that works for you.

Your personalized treatment plan may include:

• Advanced wound dressings
• Antibiotic therapy
• Cellular and tissue-based products
• Compression therapy
• Growth factor therapy
• Negative pressure wound therapy
• Ostomy care and support
• Total contact casting
• Wound debridement

Advanced healing with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Your Wellstar physician may recommend hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. This state-of-the-art treatment uses pressurized oxygen to enhance the body’s natural healing process. By delivering high levels of oxygen to the tissues, HBOT accelerates recovery, reduces inflammation and combats infection.

“HBOT has been especially effective for patients with diabetic foot ulcers, chronic infections and radiation injuries,” Dr. Duran explained. “Studies show that HBOT can improve healing rates by over 70% and reduce amputation risk by 50%, helping patients recover faster and get back to their lives.”

HBOT is provided in a series of treatments, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. A typical treatment plan is five sessions per week for four to six weeks. HBOT is available at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center, and specialized centers including Wellstar Hyperbaric Wound Clinic in LaGrange and HyOx Medical Treatment Center in Marietta.

Commitment to high-quality care

Our wound and hyperbaric services reflect Wellstar’s commitment to innovative care. Every member of our team is dedicated to delivering the highest standard of care in a respectful and understanding manner.

If you or a loved one are facing the challenges of a difficult wound or slow healing, we invite you to learn more about our services. Our team is ready to help you navigate your recovery with confidence and clarity.

“Chronic wounds don’t have to control your life,” said Dr. Duran. “With the right care, healing is possible.”

Learn more about Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at Wellstar and find a specialist near you.

When someone is diabetic, a small wound can escalate into a major health issue and, in many cases, lead to an amputation. However, with proper wound care and accelerated healing with hyperbaric medicine, Wellstar patients are partnering with providers to treat wounds like diabetic foot ulcers.

Diabetic foot ulcers can develop if diabetes is not well-managed, and some causes of ulcers include poor circulation and high blood sugar. Ulcers may go unnoticed at first because many people with diabetes are also affected by neuropathy and do not have feeling in their feet, said Dr. Ricardo Duran, Medical Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Department at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital.

Also, if a diabetic person gets a wound, it may not heal as quickly, as people with diabetes are more likely to also experience poor circulation, immune system deficiencies and elevated blood sugar levels.

“When you combine the lack of sensation in the foot with the lack of healing, that leads to even more damage,” Dr. Duran said.

Foot ulcers should be taken seriously — when a diabetic person has an open wound, their five-year mortality rate increases by about 32%, according to Dr. Duran.

Hyperbaric therapy aids healing

When Venson Rolle developed a foot ulcer, he knew he needed to seek care. In Dr. Duran, he found a healthcare partner dedicated to preventing amputation and keeping him healthy. “Dr. Duran was very patient, and he was ready and willing to do anything possible for me to get the correct treatment to heal all the way,” Venson said.

Dr. Duran helped Venson’s ulcer heal by off-loading the foot with orthotics to prevent further injury, treating him with antibiotics and using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

A hyperbaric oxygen chamber allows the lungs to get more oxygen. That oxygen then flows through the body, promoting wound healing. It helps repair tissues and treat infections.

“It provides oxygen at high pressure and keeps the tissues alive while the antibiotics work to guarantee that we have a better outcome,” Dr. Duran said about the procedure.

Venson, whose ulcer has healed, said he is grateful that the treatment has improved his quality of life.

“I can’t thank him enough,” Venson said about Dr. Duran.

Preventing diabetic ulcers

Dr. Duran recommends that people with diabetes work with their primary care provider to manage diabetes and monitor their A1C.

People with diabetes should also check their feet every day, looking on the bottoms of the feet and in between the toes for any signs of wounds or ulcers, Dr. Duran said.

“They should not rely on how it feels, because the sensation is abnormal and they might not feel an ulcer,” Dr. Duran said.

Dr. Duran said people with diabetes should also avoid smoking and eat a diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein to help prevent ulcers.

The Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital doesn’t just treat diabetic ulcers — patients can also find treatment for traumatic injuries, burns, pressure ulcers and other wounds. To make an appointment, call (770) 751-2830.

Two-time breast cancer survivor Heidi Bohlmann was accustomed to successfully facing health challenges. But when stomach pain brought the Roswell resident to Wellstar North Fulton Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), she faced her ultimate challenge: a torn small intestine, which led to a life-threatening infection.

“I remember being in the ED, then waking up in a hospital room 11 days later with machines all around me,” said Bohlmann, 58. “My family from Wisconsin was there. No one was sure I would pull through.”

Bohlmann underwent surgery to repair her perforated bowel, which included creating a hole in her abdomen so the contents of her small intestine could empty into an external pouch. Called an ileostomy, the procedure allows the intestine to heal.