The Saint Alphonsus Center for Advanced Wound Healing offers specialized care for difficult or long-lasting wounds. We work with many medical specialists and provide advanced treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a special chamber where the air pressure is higher than normal—about 2 to 3 times higher. This allows your body to take in much more oxygen than usual, which helps wounds heal and fight infection.
How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?
Your body needs oxygen to heal. Injured tissue needs even more oxygen than healthy tissue. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, which helps deliver more oxygen to damaged areas.
Benefits of HBOT
- Increases oxygen to injured tissues
- Reduces swelling and inflammation
- Helps form new blood vessels
- Boosts the immune system
- Helps some medicines work better
- Reduces harmful gas bubbles in the body
Breathing pure oxygen under pressure helps your blood carry much more oxygen to areas that are not healing well. This can:
- Help repair damaged tissue
- Speed up healing
- Support new tissue growth
- Reduce swelling
- Help antibiotics work better
What to Expect During Treatment
At the start of treatment, you may feel pressure in your ears, similar to what you feel when flying in an airplane or diving underwater. Our staff will show you how to relieve this pressure.
HBOT is noninvasive, meaning it does not require surgery. Side effects are usually minimal, but your doctor will discuss any risks based on your health.
Treatment Time
- Each session lasts about 2 hours
- Most patients need around 30 treatments
- Treatments are usually spread over 1 to 5 months
Most people do not feel uncomfortable or claustrophobic inside the chamber. You can see out, and a staff member is always nearby during your treatment.
If you have questions or concerns, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
