Samaritan Wound, Vein & Hyperbaric Medicine – Albany High-Quality Care, Nationally Accredited Center

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment in which a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen while inside a high pressure chamber. HBOT can play an important role in the treatment of wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers and in post-cancer patients suffering from serious radiation injury to the bladder, chest or jaw.

For many patients, these treatments have been life changing and have worked when other treatment options alone have failed. We have seen HBOT play a key role in the preservation of limbs and successfully heal deep, internal wounds.

What Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Treat?

HBOT is most commonly used to treat:

• Non-healing diabetic foot wounds with bone infections.
• Chronic bone infections.
• Radiation tissue injury to the jaw, neck, chest, bladder and bowel.
• Certain micro-organism infections.
• Poorly healing skin grafts and flaps.

The Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen

Depending on your diagnosis, HBOT can provide you with one or more of the following benefits:

• Increased oxygen delivery to injured or compromised tissue.
• New blood vessel formation.
• Improved wound healing.
• Improved infection control.
• Preservation of compromised tissue.
• Elimination of toxic substances.
• Enhancement of cellular defenses and some antibiotics.
• Reduction or elimination of tissue obstruction by gas bubbles.

What is the Treatment Process?

Hyperbaric treatments are non-invasive and normally painless. Patients lie comfortably in a clear chamber wearing provided clothing and watch movies, listen to music or simply rest. Patients breathe normally and absorb the high pressure, 100% oxygen into their tissues through their lungs.

Treatments last approximately two hours and the average number of treatments is 30 to 40, done every weekday. Patients need to equalize the pressure in their ears in the first minutes of the treatment as pressure is added. This is similar to “popping” your ears while an airplane is descending for landing.

Explore the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber

The therapy involves use of pure oxygen in a pressurized clear acrylic chamber to promote wound healing. The technology has been used for decades, starting with the military to help scuba divers recover from resurfacing too quickly, and pilots who were flying at too high of an altitude.

Patients can relax during their treatment by watching television or even taking a nap.

Is HBOT Right for You and How to Get Referred

Our services are on a referral basis. When your primary care provider refers you for treatment, an initial evaluation appointment will be made for you to visit our clinic in North Albany.

• Non-healing wound of more than a four-week duration.
• Wounds that recur after healing.
• Foot and ankle wounds related to diabetes. 

Talk with your primary care provider about getting referred.