Hyperbaric Oxygen Treats Compartment Syndrome
How Hyperbarics Help Compartment Syndrome
Reoxygenates Suffocating Tissue
Increases Blood Flow
Reduces Inflammation
Reduces Pain
Saves Lives
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy saves many lives when applied to patients suspected of having compartment syndrome.
Compartment syndrome is an acute traumatic ischemia, meaning that tissues in the body lack sufficient oxygen. With compartment syndrome, blood supply is reduced by swelling and/or bleeding of the fascial envelope.
The result is increased tissue fluid pressure within the skeletal muscle compartment. Once the pressure gets too high, it exerts pressure on the capillaries, preventing blood oxygen from reaching the tissues. When tissues become ischemic (lacking oxygen), they become damaged.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reoxygenates the suffocating tissues and decreases this pressure. Therefore, HBOT should be considered quickly, to reverse the pain of compartment syndrome. Hyperbaric oxygen saves many lives when applied to patients suspected of having compartment syndrome.
HBOT has been used for decades as a treatment option for various medical conditions. However, its use in the management of compartment syndrome is relatively new. This life-saving treatment works by increasing the concentration of oxygen in the body's tissues through exposure to high-pressure levels.
Patient Experiences
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Linda, 72
Linda credits Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for saving her life after a surgeon accidentally perforated her colon during a routine surgery.
A retired university professor, Linda underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder. Unfortunately, the surgeon accidentally perforated her colon, which caused sepsis and ultimately compartment syndrome. As soon as she was able to leave the hospital, Linda received hyperbaric oxygen therapy every day for almost six weeks. Before HBOT, Linda could not walk and could not eat solid food. After HBOT, she was walking on her own, eating solid food, and even fixing dinner and hiking with her husband! The surgeon said she healed faster than he thought possible, given the grave nature of her condition.
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Ania, 36
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy saved her leg after a traumatic automobile accident caused a crush injury.
When she first came into our hyperbaric clinic, physicians feared Ania would lose her leg, because of poor perfusion in her damaged tissues. After 10 HBOT sessions, Ania started to feel some intense nerve pain, which meant that was growing new blood vessels and nerves. After 40 treatments, the pain had mostly subsided and she was able to walk with crutches, which surprised her physicians. They thought it would take many more months to heal. Ania was well on her way to complete healing by the time she completed her hyperbaric oxygen sessions,.
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Still looking for answers?
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What is Hyperbaric Medicine?
Hyperbaric medicine, also called hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT, is a medical treatment where a patient sits or lies in a pressurized chamber and breathes 100% oxygen. In HBOT, oxygen dissolves into the blood, thus raising the oxygen concentration to very high levels. This increased oxygen is a primary building block for tissues, muscle, and bone repair. Among other benefits, it kicks off cell reproduction, heals injuries and infections more rapidly, and decreases inflammation.
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Does HBOT kill cancer cells?
Current research indicates that hyperbaric oxygen does not kill cancer cells. However, there has been a small amount of research indicating that hyperbaric oxygen might reduce the size of certain tumors. Also, there has been a study on mice using hyperbaric oxygen, along with a ketogenic diet, to reduce tumors. Hyperbaric oxygen causes many different healing modalities to kick into gear. Could its effect on strengthening the immune system inhibit the growth of cancer cells? Nobody knows. There are numerous studies conclusively showing that hyperbaric oxygen does not encourage cancer cells or tumors to grow. Some patients claim that hyperbaric oxygen makes them feel a lot more comfortable and functional after chemotherapy and also during healing. Note that some chemotherapy drugs are not to be used with hyperbaric oxygen, as the chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced and thus become toxic. A good hyperbaric oxygen facility (such as Bay Area Hyperbarics) will always call the chemotherapy manufacturer to ensure that hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be helpful and not damaging to the patient.
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What is the CPT code for HBOT?
The CPT code for HBOT is G0277.
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Can HBOT help Neuropathy?
Hyperbaric treatments help heal neuropathy by regrowing small blood vessels and nerves that have died from disease, injuries from radiation, and aging. Patients often experience numbness and or pain when they start treatment. Hyperbaric treatments most often bring back sensation and make, for example, walking easier and more enjoyable.
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Will my insurance cover HBOT?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been proven to help with numerous medical conditions. Each insurance company decides what’s covered and what's not. That said, HBOT is covered by Medicare, Kaiser, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, United Health Care, and many other insurances. Coverage is based on the diagnosis. We also take people with conditions that are not covered by their insurance but whose problems can greatly improve with HBOT. Call us! We are more than happy to look at your personal situation and do the insurance work for you.
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Why would a physician consider HBOT?
A physician would consider using hyperbaric chamber therapy in a variety of situations. Physicians most typically refer patients to hyperbarics when the patient is not healing with traditional medical interventions, and hyperbaric chamber therapy is approved by Medicare for this condition. Some patients experience significant unresolved pain, and unremitting disease states that the mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber are known to affect, such as the downregulation of inflammatory genes. For example, some patients have experienced severe, unremitting hives with itching, which did not improve with any specialist interventions. Some physicians will consider hyperbaric chamber therapy if the patient has no other good avenues for improving their failing health, and they know the hyperbaric chamber therapy is safe and will not harm the patient.
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What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HB0T) is a medical treatment where you inhale 100% oxygen in a chamber with increased atmospheric pressure. HBOT increases oxygenation by 1200% into your tissues, bones and mobilizes stem cells. It regrows healthy tissues in the brain, blood vessels, skin, and bones. It also reduces pain and swelling and speeds recovery. It is simple, effective, and painless. Some patients experience significant unresolved pain, and unremitting disease states that the mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber are known to affect, such as the downregulation of inflammatory genes. For example, some patients have experienced severe, unremitting hives with itching, which did not improve with any specialist interventions. Some physicians will consider hyperbaric chamber therapy if the patient has no other good avenues for improving their failing health, and they know the hyperbaric chamber therapy is safe and will not harm the patient.
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