Hyperbaric Medicine (HBO)
- Chamber type
- hard-shell
- Accreditation
- Not listed
Contact & Hours
About Hyperbaric Medicine (HBO)
Northwest Health offers hyperbaric medicine treatment options where patients with difficult wounds are surrounded with 100% oxygen in a comfortable, pressurized chamber. This process saturates the body, promoting the natural immune system and healing responses, allowing wounds to heal more easily from the inside out. Hyperbaric oxygen treatments are beneficial for patients who have complicated or slow-healing wounds, such as bone infections or diabetic foot ulcers. The treatments work in conjunction with other treatments, such as antibiotics, to accelerate the healing process. Located in several hospitals including Northwest Health - La Porte and Northwest Health - Valparaiso, the Wound Care Centers utilize hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to reintroduce the body's innate ability to heal chronic wounds by increasing the amount of oxygen to wounds. Under hyperbaric conditions, oxygen molecules in the patient's red blood cells become reduced in size to more easily dissolve into the liquid portion of the blood and be transported throughout the body to speed healing. During treatment, patients relax inside pressurized chambers and breathe 100% pure oxygen. The highly concentrated oxygen goes directly to the bloodstream to assist the healing process of the wounds and helps fight certain types of infection. The oxygen also stimulates new blood vessel growth, improving circulation and wound healing. Each treatment is typically two hours long, and patients often watch television or sleep during a therapy session. Northwest Health hospitals are the only hospitals in Porter, La Porte and Starke Counties providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.