HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) which is an essential part of some chronic wound treatment plans. HBO can activate the body’s ability to heal itself when wounds have not healed within a certain amount of time.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is most commonly used in the treatment of individuals with:
- Diabetic wounds that are slow to heal
- Chronic bone infections and necrotizing skin infections
- Radiation and crush injuries
- Compromised or failing skin grafts or flaps
- Aggressive bacterial skin infections
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
HBO is a medical treatment that increases the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood, allowing oxygen to pass more easily through the plasma into the wounds to heal them. HBO chambers surround the patient with 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure.
What to Expect During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Typically, a patient will receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy for approximately two hours, which includes the time to pressurize and depressurize the chamber plus 90 minutes at the prescribed treatment. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patients may choose to watch a personal television, a DVD or sleep.
A certified technician is always in the room during the hyperbaric oxygen treatment and a physician always closely supervises therapy. At any point during hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you can talk to the technician, even while in the chamber through the chamber’s microphone.
To learn more about our Wound Healing Center, please click here.
