Wound Care

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

During therapy, the patient breathes 100 percent oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The clear acrylic chamber allows patients to watch television or rest quietly during treatment. Treatment is administered daily Monday through Friday, and each appointment is typically two hours from start to finish. Most patients require between 20 and 40 treatments to achieve maximum results.

The chamber helps heal wounds, fight infection and deliver a high concentration of oxygen to the bloodstream. It is especially helpful for patients with radiation tissue damage, compromised skin grafts and flaps, diabetic wounds and chronic osteomyelitis. You will receive a complete plan before beginning treatment.

How hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve healing

• Enhanced oxygen diffusion - hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen available to cells involved in wound healing, allowing those cells to be more efficient.
• Formation of new blood vessels - by hyper-oxygenating the blood, hyperbaric oxygen therapy stimulates new blood vessel growth in normal tissue, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the wound.
• Improves immune system and fights infection - hyperbaric oxygen therapy boosts white blood cell production to fight infection and also increases the efficacy of antibiotics in affected tissue by increasing oxygen saturation in surrounding cells.