Hollister Restore® Calcium Alginate Dressing — Superior Wet Strength, No Lateral Wicking, 4 Sizes

A calcium sodium alginate dressing with superior wet strength — stays intact under full saturation for clean one-piece removal, while its construction actively prevents lateral wicking to protect periwound skin. Hollister Restore® is a highly absorptive calcium sodium alginate wound dressing that creates a conformable, protective gel on contact with wound exudate. What distinguishes Restore from standard calcium alginate dressings is its wet strength performance: most alginate dressings lose structural cohesion as they absorb fluid and can fragment on removal, leaving residue in the wound bed that requires irrigation. Restore maintains its integrity even when fully saturated, enabling clean, reliable one-piece removal with less residue and less wound disruption. It also avoids lateral wicking — the tendency of some alginates to wick exudate sideways beyond the wound margins onto intact periwound skin, which can cause maceration and periwound breakdown. Available in four sizes including a 12" rope for cavity and tunnel wounds. Also sold as CalciCare® (the current product name) — same dressing, updated SKUs.

✔ Superior Wet Strength — Remains Intact When Saturated, Removes in One Piece    ✔ Avoids Lateral Wicking — Protects Periwound Skin from Exudate    ✔ Less Residue Than Standard Alginates — Reduces Wound Irrigation Need    ✔ Calcium Sodium Alginate — Conformable Protective Gel on Contact with Exudate

Product Details & Available Sizes

Indicated For — Wound Types

• Full thickness wounds with moderate to heavy exudate — pressure injuries, Stage 2 through unstageable
• Diabetic foot ulcers with significant drainage
• Venous leg ulcers — highly exuding phases of treatment
• Post-operative surgical wounds with moderate to heavy output
• Donor sites and partial thickness burns with heavy exudate
• Cavity, tunnel, and sinus wounds — using 12" rope form for packing
• Any wound where a standard calcium alginate dressing has fragmented on removal or left residue requiring irrigation

Not indicated for: Dry or minimally exuding wounds. Do not use on individuals with known sensitivity to the dressing or its components. Not for surgical implantation.

What Makes Restore Different — Superior Wet Strength & No Lateral Wicking

All calcium alginate dressings operate through the same fundamental mechanism: calcium ions in the alginate fiber exchange with sodium ions in wound exudate, converting the dry fiber structure into an absorptive gel. The differentiating factor between alginate products is not the mechanism — it's how the resulting gel behaves under clinical conditions. Two specific performance characteristics separate Restore from standard calcium alginate dressings.

Superior Wet Strength: Standard calcium alginate dressings can become friable and fragmented as they absorb fluid and fully gel — the dressing loses enough structural cohesion that portions of the gelled material detach and remain in the wound bed when the dressing is removed. This residue requires irrigation to clear, and repeated irrigation with saline or water on actively healing wound tissue can disrupt granulation, cause patient discomfort, and add procedural time and cost to each dressing change. Restore's calcium sodium alginate formulation provides demonstrably superior wet strength — the gelled dressing maintains structural integrity even under full saturation, allowing the entire dressing to be lifted from the wound bed as a single cohesive piece. Less residue means less need for wound irrigation, less tissue disruption at change, and faster, cleaner dressing changes.

Avoidance of Lateral Wicking: Lateral wicking is the tendency of some absorbent wound dressings to spread absorbed fluid sideways along the plane of the dressing — outward beyond the wound margins onto intact periwound skin. When exudate reaches the intact periwound skin under or around the dressing edges, it creates a sustained moist environment that softens and breaks down the skin, causing maceration, periwound dermatitis, and new wound extension that complicates management of the original wound. Restore's construction preferentially wicks fluid vertically — up into the core of the dressing — rather than laterally, keeping absorbed exudate away from the wound margins and protecting the intact periwound skin that the clinical team needs to remain healthy for dressing adhesion and wound closure.

• Superior wet strength — gelled dressing maintains cohesion under full saturation
• One-piece intact removal — less wound disruption and faster dressing changes
• Less residue than standard calcium alginate dressings — reduces or eliminates need for wound irrigation at change
• Avoids lateral wicking — absorbed exudate moves vertically into dressing, not outward onto periwound skin
• Protects periwound skin — reduces risk of maceration and periwound breakdown from exudate spread
• Highly absorptive — manages moderate to heavy exudate output effectively
• Conformable protective gel forms on contact — fills wound bed contours in sheet form; fills cavity/tunnel volume in rope form
• Cost-effective — superior absorption capacity and fewer required changes reduce overall treatment cost

Restore® vs. CalciCare® — Same Dressing, Updated Name

Hollister has updated the product name from Restore® to CalciCare® for this calcium alginate dressing line. If you have previously purchased Restore and are looking to reorder, CalciCare is the current product — same formulation, same clinical performance, same sizes, with updated SKUs (529937R, 529938R, 529939R, 529940R). Both names refer to the same Hollister calcium sodium alginate dressing. If you see either name on your order history or prescription, you are ordering the same product.

Sheet vs. Rope — When to Use Each Form

• Sheet Forms (2"x2", 4"x4", 4"x8"): For shallow, accessible wound beds where the primary clinical need is high-volume exudate absorption and moist wound environment maintenance across the wound surface. Apply the dry dressing directly to the wound bed — no hydration required. The dressing should cover the wound fully with a small overlap onto intact periwound skin. Cover with a secondary dressing appropriate to the exudate level — foam for heavy drainage, film or non-adherent pad for moderate drainage
• Rope (12", item #529940): For cavity wounds, tunneling wounds, and sinus tracts where dead space needs to be filled with an absorptive gelling material. Loosely pack the wound channel — never tightly, as the alginate expands significantly as it gels and absorbs fluid; tight packing can cause pressure on wound walls. Leave a small tail of rope visible at the wound opening for easy retrieval. The gelled rope removes as a single cohesive piece by gentle traction at the tail. Cover with a secondary dressing to maintain moisture and secure in place

Application & Use Guide

• Cleanse the wound and the periwound area with appropriate wound cleanser per clinical protocol before application
• Select the appropriate size — sheet should cover the full wound surface; rope should loosely fill the wound cavity with a visible tail at the opening
• Apply the dry dressing directly to the wound bed — no pre-moistening or hydration is needed or recommended
• Cover with a secondary dressing matched to the expected exudate level: foam for heavy drainage, non-adherent secondary pad for moderate drainage, transparent film for light drainage
• Secure the secondary dressing with tape or a light retention bandage
• Change when the secondary dressing is saturated, when exudate can no longer be absorbed by the primary dressing, or per clinical protocol — typically every 1–3 days for heavily exuding wounds
• Removal: Remove the secondary dressing first. Lift the gelled Restore dressing or rope from the wound bed as a single piece. If any area has dried, moisten with sterile saline to rehydrate before attempting removal — never pull dry alginate from the wound bed
• Reassess dressing type as wound exudate decreases — when the wound is producing only low exudate, transition to a less absorptive dressing type appropriate for healing-phase wounds

Why Buy From Medical Department Store?

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Questions about Hollister Restore or any of our calcium alginate dressings? Call 1-866-218-0902 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm EST