Hyperbaric O2 Therapy in Lexington
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) administers a high dose of oxygen to the patient while he or she is inside a pressurized chamber. In the veterinary world, this therapy is increasingly being used as both a primary and secondary mode of treatment.
For decades, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used in human medicine to treat conditions ranging from wounds to radiation injury to decompression sickness in scuba divers.
Treatment
During treatment, an increased amount of oxygen dissolves in the plasma (rather than carried by hemoglobin) and is transported to the body's tissues. This effect, combined with increased pressure, results in increased oxygen tensions in the vasculature, increasing oxygen delivery to distal tissues. HBOT also has therapeutic benefits that extend beyond increased blood oxygen levels.
Benefits
- Increases oxygen delivery throughout the body
- Decreases swelling and edema
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves tissue salvage
- Alters effects of ischemia (or the lack of blood flow)
- Boosts cellular and collagen proliferation
- Stimulates formation of new blood supply
- Help prevent reperfusion injury
- Accelerates bacterial killing
- Promotes production of growth factors and release of stem cells
- Helps control infection and increases the effects of some antibiotics
- Decreases brain swelling
- Enhances oxygen radical scavengers