MACY-PAN Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

Safe, Effective Treatment to Promote Healing

HBOT is a safe treatment, and people who are candidates can benefit from its production of healthy new blood vessels that amplify the body's capacity to repress local infection. The result is faster, enhanced healing for a number of tissue, bone and lung disorders. 

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is one part of an overall approach to an individual's health care. HBOT allows you to breathe 100 percent oxygen (normal environmental oxygen levels are 28 percent) while inside a pressurized chamber. The increased oxygen and pressure put 10 to 20 times more oxygen directly into your body's tissues, which can result in many therapeutic effects in the healing of wounds, body tissues, infections and more.

How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy work?

The earth's atmosphere constantly exerts pressure on your body. During hyperbaric treatment, you breathe oxygen while the pressure exerted on your body is increased two to three times. This increase in pressure dissolves oxygen into blood and body tissues at a much higher rate than under normal conditions. The elevated oxygen level stimulates the creation of new small blood vessels, enhancing the body's ability to fight ltreating irradiated, compromised and chronically infected tissues. HBOT promotes healing injuries and infections safely and effectively.

What does a hyperbaric treatment feel like?

The sensation inside a hyperbaric chamber can be compared to that experienced while flying in an airplane. The air pressure changes can cause your to have a sense of fullness, which is usually relieved using simple techniques which will be explained to you by a professional from the HBOT team. During a two-hour treatment, patients may relax, take a nap, read a book, listen to music or watch TV. The chamber has comfortable seating and air conditioning to enhance your experience. Several Advocate locations use multiplace chamber therapy, which allows several patients to be treated simultaneously. 

Are there precautions or restrictions?

You will receive restrictions specific to your treatment prior to undergoing HBOT. The good news you will not have eating restrictions or requirements; if you are on a special diet, you should continue to follow it. You can also continue to take all medication as prescribed.

The chamber environment is oxygen enriched and therefore several guidelines must be follod to prevent fire or any other hazards. For instance, patients receiving hyperbaric treatment should not use any tobacco products. (Tobacco products will cause the blood vessels to narrow, making treatment less beneficial.) Hyperbaric treatment will not be started until the patient is smoke-free for at least two weeks. If our staff strongly suspects a patient is smoking during the course of treatment, we reserve the right to discontinue treatment.

What is a typical course of treatment?

Treatment is tailored to fit your specific diagnosis and response to therapy. The total number of hyperbaric treatments can vary from 20 to 30 treatments to attain maximum benefits. Prior to starting therapy, all patients are evaluated by the Medical Director of the Hyperbaric Treatment Center.