Patients throughout Athens and Northeast Georgia with diverse conditions are discovering the healing benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Our Hyperbaric Medicine department offers this proven therapy to heal wounds, preserve damaged tissues, and more. We're the only hospital-based hyperbaric medicine service available in Athens and the only hyperbaric service that offers transcutaneous oximetry - a specialized test that helps us determine the need for oxygen in healing wounds.

All of our treatment protocols are evidence-based. This means that there is substantial, documented research on the beneficial effects of this therapy for each medical condition we treat.

The medical profession has known for some time that providing 100% oxygen by facemask has certain benefits. Keep in mind that the air we breathe contains 21% oxygen. By providing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, patients receive 2 to 3 times more oxygen than by inhaling oxygen through a mask. This hyperbaric (high pressure) dose of oxygen greatly increases the amount of oxygen the bloodstream can deliver to body tissues-and this offers distinct therapeutic benefits. To receive this therapy, patients lie down in a pressurized chamber, which is then compressed to a specific level, using pure oxygen.

We use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat the following common and well-known conditions:

• Heal wounds and preserve damaged tissues-Some wounds are resistant to healing because they're hypoxic (they don't receive enough oxygen). Therefore, delivering increased oxygen to injured tissues can help control infections. Examples include chronic bone infection and diabetic wounds of the lower extremities.

• Treat delayed radiation injuries-Some patients of radiation treatments (for example, for prostate cancer) may have bladder or colon problems because these organs are located in the radiated field. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps resolve these bladder and colon problems.

Doctors refer patients to us for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the following conditions:

• Osteoradionecrosis (mandible)
• Adjunctive therapy
• Crush injury, compartment syndrome (other acute ischemias)
• Enhance healing (hypoxic and diabetic wounds)
• Exceptional blood loss anemia (patient refusal of blood, cross matching difficulties)
• Necrotizing soft tissue infections (subcutaneous tissue, muscle, fascia)
• Radiation tissue injury (bone and soft tissue complications)
• Chronic osteomyelitis (refractory to bone cultured antibiotics and surgical debridements)

• How long do treatments last? Depending on the condition, patients may need between 20 to 40 treatments, usually every day for several weeks. The exposure (time in the pressurized chamber) usually lasts about two hours.

• You'll be treated by our highly specialized staff, trained in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The physicians in the Hyperbaric Medicine department are specially trained and have passed the hyperbaric medicine board exam. Our hyperbaric medicine staff have undergone hundreds of hours of treatment and staff members have fulfilled primary training on hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Most treatments are on an outpatient basis. We're located on the second floor of the Medical Services Building, directly behind the hospital, and we work with patients on an inpatient and outpatient basis, by physician referral. Clinic hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The conditions we treat are recognized by Medicare and most commercial insurance providers. Because the number of treatments can vary widely, we work with insurance companies to preauthorize treatments.

• Comprehensive Wound Center brochure
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy brochure