Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an important adjunct in the treatment of non-healing wounds.  An established technology, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been shown to help in treating: 

• Refractory Osteomyelitis
• Crush Injuries
• Radiation Tissue Damage
• Acute Traumatic Ischemia
• Comprised Skin Grafts, Flaps and Replants
• Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
• Diabetic Ulcer of the Lower Extremity

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves the systemic delivery of oxygen to patients placed in a chamber at two to three times atmospheric pressure while breathing 100 percent oxygen for periods of time between 90 to 120 minutes.

The effects of increased oxygen tension include:

• Vasoconstriction and the reduction of edema in the area of trauma for crush injuries. Tissue oxygen levels may be 10 to 20 times that achieved by normobaric oxygen breathing.
• Increase in oxygen diffusion distance from functioning capillaries in the hypoperfused wound. Oxygen is necessary for the functioning of fibroblasts, osteoclasts, and granulocytes in wound healing. Also, oxygen is necessary for healing skin grafts, selected problem wounds and compromised flaps.
• Stimulation of neovascularization in ischemic tissues (radiation necrosis, small vessel disease in diabetes, flap, and graft failure).
• Support of leukocytic oxidative bacterial kills as an adjunct to antibiotics and good wound care.

Treatment Protocols

The administration of oxygen, under increased atmospheric pressure, is a scientific and clinical treatment requiring careful administration to avoid toxic side effects. A patient's clinical response and other factors often dictate the number of treatments required. Select problem wounds may require as many as 20 to 40 treatments. Treatments are administered once or twice a day on an inpatient or outpatient basis and treatments usually last 90 to 120 minutes.

The Wound Care Center^® Program - A Standard of Excellence in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

The Wound Care Center's Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Program consists of state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber(s). The center is supervised by a physician specialist and staffed by nurses and technicians trained in the specific medical needs of patients receiving Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Clinical Indications

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may be used as either primary or adjunctive care in:

Skin Grafts, Flaps and Replants: Following ischemia or vascular repair in cases where there has been decreased microcirculation, HBOT has been demonstrated to maximize the viability and final functional level of the compromised nerve and muscle tissue.

Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome, and Other Acute Traumatic Ischemias*: HBOT increases tissue oxygen tension to levels which allow host responses to infections and ischemia to become functional. Effects include enhanced oxygenation at the tissue level, increased oxygen delivery per unit of blood flow and edema reduction.

Radiation Tissue Damage: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is the Gold Standard of Care in reconstructive surgery involving radiated bone or soft tissue. In proper coordination with surgical treatment, HBOT has reoriented the approach to the repair of radiation damaged tissue. It has been shown to stimulate growth of functioning capillaries, fibroblastic proliferation, and collagen synthesis in the irradiated bone and soft tissue. Improved healing rates and reduced complication rates are seen in a coordinated reconstructive program using adjunctive HBOT.

Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy stimulates osteoclast formation and improves leukocyte function in infected bone tissue. It is used as an adjunct to antibiotics, debridement, nutritional support, and reconstructive surgery. In cases of superficial, localized (e.g., sternal wounds), and diffuse osteomyelitis, particularly in the presence of localized or systemic host compromise, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has proven adjunctive therapeutic value. In these most difficult to resolve infections, HBO can often save life or limb.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections: As an adjunct to debridement and systemic antibiotics, HBOT adversely affects anaerobic bacterial growth and enhances leukocyte bacterial killing. Certain toxins (e.g., clostridial) may be inactivated by high oxygen tension. Published studies indicated adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen use can decrease mortality by two-thirds

Diabetic ulcer of the lower extremity: A Wagner grade 3 or greater ulcer occurring as a result of diabetes which has not exhibited improvement (reduced size and/or drainage) in the past 30 days in spite of comprehensive wound care.