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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used most commonly to help heal wounds, decrease nervous
system injury, minimize inflammation, and treat infections. It is frequently used
a secondary therapy to improve healing time and decrease the overall length of hospital
stay for patients. This can ultimately decrease the overall treatment cost. At this
time, there is limited published information about the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
in veterinary medicine, and extrapolation from human medicine is often used.
What to Expect
During a treatment session, the patient is placed in the hyperbaric chamber which
is then filled with oxygen at increased pressure (typically 1-2 times that of normal
atmospheric pressure). Treatment times can vary depending on the individual case,
but a session typically takes 1-1.5 hours. Most patients tolerate the chamber well
(some actually seem excited to return after the first treatment) and don’t require
sedation for the procedure. The chamber at LSU VTH is always under direct observation
by a trained person. Each individual patient has a treatment planned formulated by
a veterinarian for their specific health issues.
