Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a powerful treatment for a wide range of conditions, including life-threatening wounds and infections. It involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to enhance the body’s natural healing processes. Explore how a high-oxygen environment can treat several serious health conditions.
Gas Gangrene
Gas gangrene, a severe form of gangrene where gas accumulates in tissues, is an acute, life-threatening infection. Its defining feature is the rapid onset of gangrene, often within one to six hours after injury, marked by severe and sudden pain in the infected area.
HBOT inhibits bacterial growth and allows the body’s defenses to take over. It reduces swelling and promotes tissue regeneration, thus breaking the cycle of oxygen starvation and tissue death. When combined with antibiotic therapy and surgery, HBOT significantly reduces the mortality rate of gas gangrene.
Complicated Surgical Infections
Infection is a significant concern post-surgery. As a non-invasive treatment that delivers 100% oxygen to the body, hyperbaric oxygen therapy enhances natural healing by stimulating cell, tissue, and skin growth. It is particularly effective at healing surgical wounds, reducing inflammation, treating infection, and accelerating recovery after surgery.
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are a rare but life-threatening condition that causes severe tissue damage. HBOT has shown high efficacy in treating NSTIs, improving healing outcomes and reducing complications. It increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood, enhancing the body’s immune response and fighting infection. HBOT for NSTIs typically requires 30 to 40 sessions lasting up to two hours, with a reported survival rate of 80% to 90%.
Chronic Non-Healing Wounds
Stubborn wounds that refuse to heal, such as diabetic foot ulcers and radiation tissue damage, respond well to HBOT. The therapy promotes wound healing by bringing oxygen-rich plasma to oxygen-starved tissue. It also prevents reperfusion injury, where severe tissue damage occurs following the release of harmful oxygen radicals from damaged cells. In addition, HBOT blocks harmful bacteria, strengthens the immune system, and encourages new collagen and skin cell formation essential for wound healing.
Osteomyelitis
HBOT can effectively manage chronic refractory osteomyelitis, a persistent bone infection. It has shown remission rates of 81% to 85% in patients with this condition. HBOT enhances leukocyte oxidative killing (destruction of pathogens by white blood cells), osteogenesis (bone tissue formation), and angiogenesis (blood vessel formation). The therapy is especially beneficial for patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, both of which increase the risk of osteomyelitis.
Choose Baromedical Associates, LLC
The team at Baromedical Associates, LLC, is dedicated to providing the most advanced and effective hyperbaric oxygen therapy available. Our patients receive personalized care in FDA-approved, single-person hyperbaric chambers for maximum safety and comfort. As innovators in the field, we’re recognized for our expertise in treating children and international patients with complex medical needs. We invite you to discover the healing power of HBOT for yourself at one of our four convenient locations in the Dallas Metro area. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us today.