The Horizon Medical Center Outpatient Wound Care Clinic & Hyperbaric Therapy specializes in the treatment of wounds to help prevent infection and speed up the body’s healing process. Our team, treatments, and technology enable us to more effectively treat a variety of wound conditions.
We are a specialized outpatient wound care treatment center dedicated to the care of patients with wounds. Wounds that are hard-to-heal and/or non-healing may be a result of pressure, trauma or infection. Sometimes, the simplest of wounds can turn into a significant problem due to underlying conditions such as diabetes, circulation problems or previous radiation treatment. Since non-healing wounds rarely result from a single cause, we treat the whole person, not just the wound.
Our team of experienced wound care specialists will assess your symptoms, determine the underlying cause of your non-healing wound and customize the most effective treatment plan to stimulate healing. Our treatment plans are designed to complement the care your own physician provides, ensuring that your health care team is always working together to provide the treatment that’s right for you. Non-healing wounds can have serious health consequences and may adversely affect your quality of life.
If you have a wound or an ulcer that is not healing, or any wound that is of concern, ask your physician for a referral to the wound center or contact us directly for an appointment.
The process
Once you are in the hyperbaric chamber and the door is closed, you will hear the oxygen beginning to circulate as the technician starts the gradual increase in pressure. This is called compression. Some patients experience a temporary warmth, but after the initial compression period, the temperature will regulate and be very comfortable. During compression, you may feel a fullness or popping sensation in your ears similar to what is felt while flying in a plane or driving in the mountains. Your technician will teach you how to clear your ears to relieve this sensation. The compression period generally lasts between 10 and 15 minutes. Once the compression period is over, you will no longer feel the fullness in your ears. You will remain in the chamber for 1.5 to 2 hours. During this time, you may rest or sleep, watch television or listen to music. Near the end of your treatment, the technician will gradually decrease the pressure inside the chamber. This is called decompression.
Therapy Indications
Many different conditions have been shown to benefit from HBO therapy, especially chronic, non-healing wounds. HBO therapy is often used in conjunction with other treatments.
Conditions treated with HBO therapy include:
• Slow to heal or non-healing wounds
• Diabetic foot ulcers or leg ulcers
• Non-healing skin grafts or surgical flaps
• Surgical wounds that have opened
• Symptoms occurring on or around a point of radiation (such as pain, rectal or bladder bleeding)
• Chronic bone infections (osteomyelitis)
• Crush injuries
• Certain types of sudden hearing loss
• Sudden vision loss
• Thermal burns
Side Effects
Prior to your treatment, your physician will discuss with you the potential risks and side effects. Most patients experience no side effects from HBO therapy. However, some patients may feel ear discomfort or sinus pressure.