Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment used for a range of medical conditions, primarily to help heal chronic wounds and to treat certain infections. It involves breathing 100% oxygen while at increased atmospheric pressure while lying comfortably in one of our two state-of-the-art, computer-assisted hyperbaric chambers.
Pure and pressurized oxygen works like an antibiotic to rid tissues of bacteria. (The air we normally breathe is 21% oxygen.) This makes HBOT an effective, minimally invasive treatment for drug-resistant infections. HBOT also promotes healthy tissue growth and healing.
Conditions treated
HBOT is often used along with medicine, surgeries and other conventional therapies to heal certain types of wounds, usually when other treatments have failed. Wounds our experts treat with HBOT include:
Diabetes-related foot wounds, which raise the risk of amputation if they become infected. It has been estimated that 1 out of 3 people with diabetes 50 years of age or older are at risk of losing a limb. Hyperbaric therapy has been proven to be especially beneficial in these cases.
Radiation therapy-related wounds, which develop in a small number of patients treated for cancer. These wounds typically involve the skin surrounding the area or organ under treatment, which can lead to a breakdown of tissue over time. HBOT helps to create new blood vessels, making it possible for oxygen to efficiently decrease inflammation around those wounds while also killing bacteria.
Bone infections, or osteomyelitis, which affects an estimated 20% of individuals with diabetic foot ulcers. It can also develop after trauma or puncture wounds, or as a complication after joint replacement. While this condition often resists antibiotic treatment, HBOT can help treat osteomyelitis.
Wounds resulting from complications following surgery, such as compromised surgical skin flaps and grafts. A wound can develop when skin used to cover surgical wounds doesn't receive enough blood and the flap or graft fails. HBOT increases oxygen supply to injured tissues, promoting healing by fighting infection, reducing swelling, and encouraging the growth of new blood vessels.
COVID-19. Although research into HBOT’s efficacy in treating Long COVID is continuing, indications are that it may be beneficial to certain patients suffering from that condition. The oxygenation process appears to help some patients with COVID-related fatigue and memory problems. However, the FDA has not approved HBOT for treating Long COVID, with the result that many insurers do not offer coverage for that treatment. Please discuss with your physician and your insurer.
Our wound care specialists
At the Carl Weber Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at White Plains Hospital, a multi-specialty team provides hyperbaric therapy and other types of wound care. The team includes Joey Papa, MD, who has decades of experience in wound care and hyperbaric medicine. Dr. Papa is a board-certified general surgeon who is also wound care certified and has advanced training in hyperbaric medicine.
Insurance
The use of HBOT is approved for many of these treatments by most insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. A list of major health plans with which White Plains Hospital participates can be found here.
Location
The Carl Weber Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at White Plains Hospital is located at 122 Maple Avenue in White Plains. For more information, call 914-681-2430.