Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy | Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is one of several advanced wound care modalities provided at the Methodist Wound Treatment Center. HBOT is used adjunctively with other procedures such as revascularization, or as a primary treatment when other options fail.

The Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

HBOT allows a patient to breathe 100 percent oxygen two to three times greater than atmospheric pressure and is administered on a daily basis. The result is an increase of 10-15 times in plasma oxygen concentration. This increase translates to arterial oxygen values between 1500 and 2000 mmHg, which produces a four-fold increase in the diffusing distance of oxygen from functioning capillaries. Additionally, by forcing more oxygen into the tissue, HBOT encourages the formation of new blood vessels. As these new blood vessels develop, the red blood cells start to flow, delivering even more oxygen to the affected area. This creates the optimal environment for the body’s natural healing processes to repair damaged tissue.

Approved Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Indications

CMS (Medicare) lists the following indications as approved coverage for HBOT, in order of decreasing utilization:

Diabetic Wounds of the Lower Extremities (DWLE)
Soft Tissue Radionecrosis
Compromised Flaps & Grafts
Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis
Osteoradionecrosis
Acute Peripheral Arterial Insufficiency
Progressive Necrotizing Infections
Crush Injuries
Acute Traumatic Peripheral Ischemia
Gas Gangrene
Acute Carbon Monoxide Intoxication
Decompression Illness/sickness
Gas Embolism
Cyanide Poisoning
Actinomycosis

Additional UHMS-approved indications:

Thermal Burns
Exceptional Blood Loss Anemia
Intracranial Abscess

The increase in oxygen through HBOT produces a number of physiological benefits:

Correction of tissue hypoxia
Reduction of local edema
Improvement of toxic effects of aerobic organisms
Improved leukocyte killing ability
Stimulation of fibroblast replication
Support of collagen synthesis and angiogenesis
Enhanced epithelial migration

Hyperbaric Oxygenation

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment diffuses plasma up to three times further into the tissues.

Breathing 100 percent oxygen under pressure causes the oxygen to diffuse into the blood plasma. This oxygen-rich plasma is able to travel past the restriction, diffusing up to three times further into the tissue. The pressurized environment helps to reduce swelling and discomfort, while providing the body with at least 10 times its normal supply of oxygen to help repair tissue damaged by to original occlusion or subsequent hypoxic condition.

Blood Vessel Regeneration

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments help regenerate blood vessels.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy forces more oxygen into the tissue, encouraging the formation of new blood vessels. As these new blood vessels develop, the red blood cells start to flow, delivering even more oxygen to the affected area. This creates the optimal environment for the body’s natural healing processes to repair damaged tissue.

For more information about advanced wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, contact us today.

160-A West Tennessee Ave.
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
865-835-3740 (phone)
865-835-3742 (fax)

Understanding neuropathy and the role it can play in wound development

Poor circulation and elevated blood sugar levels makes it harder for patients to fight infection. As a result, healing even minor wounds can take weeks or even months. In fact, 25 to 30 percent of patients with diabetes develop foot sores, or ulcers, mostly on the ball of the foot or along the bottom of the big toe. About 84 percent of all lower leg amputations are preceded by diabetic foot ulcers, but the risk of amputation can be reduced by 85 percent with early intervention and proper treatment.

“In some cases with active patients they typically do have some sort of trauma but are typically unaware because of neuropathy,” said registered nurse Michelle Bailey, program director of the Wound Treatment Center at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. “Neuropathy decreases sensation and sometimes advances to no sensation at all. Therefore, the body is not receiving signals that there has been trauma and the patient continues to walk on the area and the initial trauma turns into a full thickness wound.”

That loss of sensitivity is one reason patients with diabetes are strongly encouraged to see a podiatrist at least yearly. Not only can the podiatrist safely remove callus tissue, but can watch for changes such as charcot foot, a serious condition in which the bones can weaken enough to fracture and with continued walking, lead to severe deformity, disability and even amputation. Special diabetic shoes can help prevent that from occurring.

Some wounds, however, require hyperbaric treatment.

“When hyperbaric oxygen is used in diabetics it is primarily to improve oxygen saturation of tissues,” said Bailey. “Many times diabetic wounds are not getting enough oxygen rich blood delivered to the site of the wound. After we check the larger arterial vessels and make sure there are no blockages, we often find that there is small vessel disease that is typically not able to be addressed surgically. Therefore, the hyperbaric oxygen is a good choice. Because oxygen is a gas, the effectiveness of the HBO treatments is that the gases are pushed into the tissue not just delivered through the blood stream.”