Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine

Name: Sharp Grossmont Hospital Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
Address: 5555 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA, 91942
Telephone: 619-740-4160

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Sharp's Hyperbaric Medicine Center, located at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, provides hyperbaric oxygen therapy for all of San Diego County.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment in which a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure in a hyperbaric chamber.

When oxygen is breathed while under pressure, more of it can be dissolved into the bloodstream. The body can use this extra oxygen to stimulate wound healing, fight certain infections and enhance some intravenous antibiotics.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used in conjunction with standard medical and surgical care.

Caring for our patients through hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used in conjunction with standard medical and surgical care, and can also be used to treat certain diabetic wounds, radiation injuries after cancer treatments, some types of infection and other conditions.

Our Hyperbaric Medicine Center is affiliated with the Divers Alert Network, uniquely preparing us to treat San Diego SCUBA divers who may be suffering from decompression illness, also known as the bends.

The 8-foot diameter hyperbaric chamber can be transformed into an intensive care unit, giving doctors the ability to care for patients who have suffered from a traumatic injury or who are critically ill.

Patients normally need a series of 20 to 30 treatments, with each treatment lasting 2 hours. Beacuse hyperbaric oxygen therapy is completely painless, patients can spend the treatment reading or resting.

Expert care, right here.

The Center's hyperbaric-trained team of physicians, nurses and technicians can fully support critically ill or injured patients with hands-on specialty care.

Frequently asked questions about hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Dr. Peter Colaprete, a board-certified hyperbarist and the medical director of Sharp Grossmont Hospital's Hyperbaric Medicine Center, answers frequently asked questions about hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Do I need to go all the way inside the hyperbaric chamber? plus

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not a topical oxygen treatment. The patient has to breathe the pressurized oxygen, which the body uses to grow new tissue and fight infection.

Why can't I breathe pure oxygen at sea level and get the same effect? plus

Oxygen is carried throughout the body by red blood cells, which are normally carrying all that they can carry. By breathing 100 percent oxygen under pressure inside a hyperbaric chamber, a person can absorb more oxygen into the bloodstream. The body then uses this extra oxygen wherever it is needed the most.

Are there any side effects to receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy? plus

After a number of treatments, you may notice a slight, temporary change in vision, but this should return to normal after the treatments are finished.

Occasionally, patients may have difficulty equalizing their ears, but this is easily resolved with the placement of pressure equalization tubes. Most people find the sensation in their ears similar to when they ride in an airplane.

How can I get a referral to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy? plus

First, you must have one of the conditions approved by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Then, you must get a referral from your primary care doctor. Finally, a hyperbaric physician will consult with you to determine if hyperbaric oxygen therapy is right for you.