How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works
In hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the patient’s entire body is placed within a chamber that is gradually pressurized, allowing very high levels of oxygen to be dissolved into the blood plasma. This creates a strong oxygenation gradient between the hypoxic tissues of the wound and surrounding healthy tissue. This gradient can help stimulate angiogenesis in the areas of relative hypoxia, thus delivering oxygen to the wounded tissue.
The Patient Experience
The frequency and duration of hyperbaric oxygen treatments varies depending on the condition. Typically, treatments for wound healing or radiation damage will last about two hours and occur once a day. Patients may require as few as one treatment for conditions such as decompression illness or carbon monoxide poisoning, or as many as 40 treatments for more complicated wounds or osteomyelitis.
The only sensation generally experienced by patients undergoing treatment is a change in ear pressure during the compression and decompression phases. This is similar to the feeling often associated with airplane travel or riding in the elevator of a tall building.
The hyperbaric chambers at Emory University Hospital Midtown are made of clear acrylic to allow patients to see out at all times. Inside the chamber, patients can communicate with attending technicians via intercom, watch television, listen to music or nap.
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