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Advanced Treatments to Help You Heal

Hyperbaric Medicine

Hyperbaric medicine and oxygen therapy help improve your body’s natural ability to heal itself by increasing how much oxygen is carried to the wound.

Hyperbaric Medicine: Innovative Care for Wounds

Our providers are dedicated to giving you the care you need to heal. Our team of specially trained physicians and experienced nurses use advanced techniques, including hyperbaric medicine, to resolve wounds and improve your health.

At Bristol Health, we use hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to treat:

Diabetic wounds that are slow to heal or not healing
Chronic bone infection or pain
Skin damage or open sores caused by radiation treatment
Skin grafts or surgical flaps that are not healing after surgery
Osteomyelitis, an internal injury where no open wound exists
Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs
Gas gangrene
Gas embolism
Acute carbon monoxide intoxication

How it Works

During your therapy, you lie inside a pressurized chamber where you breathe 100 percent pure oxygen. The air pressure inside the chamber is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere, making it hyperbaric (high pressure).

The high dose of pure oxygen helps your blood carry more oxygen to your wounds, increasing your body’s natural ability to heal. It also activates your white blood cells to better fight infection.

You may receive HBO as your main treatment or in combination with other treatments. You’ll receive the therapy once a day at our office for four to six weeks, depending on your needs. Each treatment takes about two hours.

Why it's Done

The tissues in your body need an adequate supply of oxygen. Damaged tissue, in fact, needs even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is able to increase the amount of oxygen your blood caries, increasing the your level of blood gases to both promote healing as well as fight off infection.

Is it Safe?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a safe procedure. Complications are extremely rare. However, there are some potential risks. Patients should talk to their provider about their concerns.

Learn More

Visit our Health Library to learn more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Wound Care Center

Click here to return to the Wound Care main page.

Diabetes Education

Bristol Health offers a program specifically related to diabetes and nutrition.

Our Location

Wound Care Center

92 Bradley Street

Bristol, CT 06010

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