Treatment for wounds that will not close
A wound that has stayed open for more than four to six weeks is not simply taking its time. Something is preventing it from healing.
Finding that cause is the whole task. Once it is identified and treated, wounds that resisted months of dressings often close.
Because something is actively working against it. The usual culprits are poor blood supply, ongoing pressure on the wound, infection, diabetes, or an underlying condition such as venous disease. A dressing manages the surface while the cause keeps acting underneath — which is why some wounds stay open for months. Identifying the cause is what changes the outcome, and that needs assessment rather than another change of dressing.
Understanding the Condition
A non-healing or chronic wound is one that has failed to progress through normal healing within about four to six weeks, or one that heals and then breaks down again in the same place.
Normal wounds heal in a predictable sequence. A chronic wound stalls at one stage — usually because blood supply is inadequate, pressure continues, infection persists, or an underlying medical condition is interfering.
The pattern matters diagnostically. Where the wound is, what it looks like and what makes it worse all point towards the cause.
Warning Signs
A wound may need specialist assessment if you notice the following.
Spreading redness, fever, rapidly increasing pain or a sudden change in the wound needs urgent medical care rather than a routine appointment.
Causes & Risk Factors
Chronic wounds usually have an identifiable underlying cause.
Treatment
Treatment starts with establishing why the wound is not healing, then addresses that alongside the wound itself.
Treatment plans are individualised after assessment of the wound, the circulation and any underlying medical conditions.
What to Expect
Examination of the wound and surrounding tissue, and a review of your medical history.
Circulation checks, blood tests and imaging as needed to establish why healing has stalled.
Debridement, appropriate dressings and treatment of infection or the underlying condition.
Measures to stop the wound recurring once it has closed.
Your Surgeon
Dr. Kamalakkhannan is an experienced general, laparoscopic and laser surgeon with over 15 years of expertise across a wide range of surgical conditions.
Chronic wounds often need both wound management and treatment of an underlying vascular or metabolic problem.
Why Patients Choose Lapser
Extensive experience across general, laparoscopic and laser surgical procedures.
Examination and, where needed, imaging come before any talk of treatment.
Many of these conditions need monitoring rather than surgery, and you will be told so plainly.
Recommendations based on your findings, symptoms and individual circumstances.
Where an incision is needed, techniques aim for the least visible result possible.
Consultations every day, including evenings, at Sithalapakkam and Velachery.
Book a consultation if you have any of the following.
Early evaluation helps identify the most appropriate treatment and often provides reassurance.
Frequently Asked
Usually because an underlying factor is interfering — poor blood supply, ongoing pressure, infection, diabetes or venous disease. Identifying that cause is what allows healing to progress.
If a wound has not shown meaningful improvement in four weeks, or if it heals and repeatedly breaks down, it warrants specialist assessment.
Not by itself. Dressings support healing but do not address the underlying cause, which is why some wounds stay open despite months of dressing changes.
Yes, significantly. Smoking reduces blood flow to the tissues and is one of the modifiable factors that most affects healing.
Not always. Many chronic wounds are managed without major surgery, though debridement is often part of treatment.
This depends on the cause, the size and depth of the wound, and your general health. A realistic timeframe is given after assessment.
If a wound has not healed as expected, an assessment will identify what is holding it back. Consult Dr. Kamalakkhannan at Lapser Multi Speciality Clinic, Chennai.
The information on this page is for general awareness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Wounds have several possible causes and treatment that helps one type can be harmful in another, so assessment of the circulation and the cause must come before treatment. Healing times and outcomes vary from person to person. Spreading redness, fever or a rapidly worsening wound requires urgent medical attention.
