How can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help you? 

If you have a wound that just won’t heal, your doctor might suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

What is that, you ask? It is a type of treatment used to speed up healing that involves exposing the body to 100% oxygen at a higher pressure than normal.

“Simply stated, wounds need oxygen to heal properly,” said Dr. Sarah Ducharme, medical director of TMC Wound Care. “Exposing a wound to 100% oxygen can speed up the healing process because it increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry.”

It also helps prevent infection in the wound while it heals by disabling toxins of certain bacteria and increasing oxygen concentration in the tissue. Additionally, it improves the ability of white blood cells to find and destroy invaders.

“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a wonderful therapy for people with stubborn wounds,” Dr. Ducharme said. “We have had great success with it for patients suffering from a variety of wounds including radiation injuries and diabetic wounds.”

What is it used for?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used for certain types of wounds such as:

• Radiation injuries
• Infections
• Diabetic wounds
• Crush injuries

What’s it like?

The treatment takes place in a clear chamber shaped like a tube. You will lay on a comfortable bed inside the chamber while you watch TV or a movie or take a nap.

A trained staff member is always in the room during treatment. You can talk with them at any time.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is not painful. You may feel pressure in your ears, as if you were flying or driving up Mount Lemmon.  You can clear you rears by swallowing, yawning or opening and closing your mouth.

The number of treatments is different for each patient, but most people receive between 30 and 40 treatments. Each treatment lasts about two hours.

--

TMC Wound Care partners with Healogics Wound Care to help our patients heal faster. We offer highly specialized care to aid in wound closure, new tissue growth and wound-tissue regeneration, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. If you have a wound that just won’t heal, talk to your doctor about a referral to TMC Wound Care. Go here for more information.