Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

HBOT rose to prominence to treat decompression sickness experienced by scuba divers. Today, it is also used to treat a range of other conditions, including: carbon monoxide poisoning, specific types of non-healing wounds, tissue damage from radiation therapy, gas gangrene, burns, compromised skin grafts or flaps, arterial gas embolism, severe anemia, infection of skin or bone that leads to tissue death, crush injuries.

Healing occurs faster and more effectively in wounds/injuries treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy due to the demands of oxygen availability by the cells and tissues responsible for the healing process being met.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy markedly increases the oxygen available within the blood, enabling a cross-linking or strengthening of the tissues and fibroblasts to produce increased amounts of collagen required for healing wounds and tissue damage.

Blood flow increases as the oxygen supply reduces, which only exacerbates the swelling and impedes the inflammatory process that assists the commencement of healing. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy reduces vascular vasodilation and permeability by increasing the oxygen content within the blood.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can combat the increased distance for oxygen diffusion from blood vessels to cells by increasing the oxygen content within the blood. This results in an increased oxygen delivery to cells and tissues and a shortening of the inflammatory process, thereby speeding the healing and repair of tissues.

Increased oxygen availability promotes vasoconstriction when blood vessels in the body become smaller, which causes fluid retention and helps reduce edema while keeping the tissue well-oxygenated. This mechanism supports the cells of the inflammatory process in removing cell debris and micro-organisms that impede infection. White blood cells have an increase in cellular energy that speeds up their activity and reduces the time of the inflammatory process.

HBOT has been used in medicine for many years. The FDA has cleared hyperbaric chambers for a variety of conditions, including burns, a severe infection of the skin and bone, skin graft flaps at risk of tissue death, and non-healing wounds. HBOT is generally safe, and serious complications are rare for these indications. Due to the increased pressure and oxygen concentration during HBOT treatments, potential risks include ear and sinus pain, middle ear injuries, and temporary vision changes. All risk factors are evaluated before recommending HBOT for a patient.

HBOT is not painful. However, the increased air pressure creates a temporary feeling of fullness in the ears, similar to what is sometimes felt in an airplane or at a high elevation, which may feel uncomfortable or unusual. This sensation can be relieved by yawning or swallowing. Afterward, some people feel fatigued, like they do after a workout.

For most patients, HBOT treatments last 1.5 to 2 hours.

A patient's care plan is based on their wound type, health conditions, and healing progress. Our healthcare team will inform you of your particular schedule based on your treatment.