Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center

About Us

The HBOT system at our hospital is equipped with superior safety equipment recognized by international standards in the United States and Europe, and offers our patients a comfortable, spacious treatment environment inside the pressure chamber.

In addition, because our system is located within the hospital, immediate intervention by the anesthesia and intensive care team is possible in an emergency.

JOINT COMMISSION

Through its compliance with internationally recognized standards, our hospital is one of the rare hospitals to hold JCI accreditation and take its place among the leading healthcare organizations in the world.

What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a scientific form of treatment based on breathing pure oxygen in an enclosed environment at pressures higher than sea-level pressure (1 ATA = 760 mm Hg). At our hospital, patients are placed in a multi-person pressure chamber and breathe 100% oxygen intermittently through a mask at 2–3 ATA. In this way, the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood and other body fluids reaches very high levels.

Which Conditions Is HBO Therapy Used For?

Conditions with delayed wound healing (diabetic and non-diabetic wounds)

Sudden hearing loss

Sudden vision loss (retinal artery occlusion)

Decompression sickness (the bends)

Air or gas embolism

Carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning, acute smoke inhalation

Osteonecrosis

Radiation necrosis (wounds that develop after radiotherapy)

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (subcutaneous tissue, muscle, fascia)

Compromised skin flaps and grafts (after skin graft surgery)

Chronic osteomyelitis (bone infections)

Acute osteomyelitis of the skull bones, sternum and vertebrae

Crush injuries, compartment syndrome and other acute traumatic ischemias

Thermal burns

Gas gangrene

Severe blood loss

Anoxic encephalopathy

Brain abscess

Frequently Asked Questions About HBOT

1. What Is a Pressure Chamber and How Is Oxygen Administered?

Pressure chambers are cabins, usually made of steel, that can be pressurized by pumping in normal air. Once patients enter the cabin, they are seated and the process called a “dive” begins; the term dive refers to increasing the pressure. When the desired pressure is reached, patients breathe 100% oxygen through a mask from the oxygen delivery system inside.

In HBO treatments, most patients breathe oxygen at a pressure 2–2.5 times the normal atmospheric pressure we live in (equivalent to a depth of 10–15 meters under the sea).

Pressure chambers have windows called portholes, with cameras attached to them. Inside the chamber there are seats so that patients can sit comfortably, or a stretcher arrangement so that treatment can be given lying down if necessary.

The chambers used in our country are fully automatically controlled cabins for 10–16 people.

Single-person chambers can also be used for treatment.

The pressure chamber used at our hospital is a 12-person, German-made Haux-Starmed cabin with a fully automatic control system. Inside the cabin there are two 27-inch screens suitable for use in a pressure chamber, so patients can watch films during treatment and pass the time much more comfortably. The cabin’s original air-conditioning system also allows patients to be treated at an optimal temperature.

Having hyperbaric oxygen therapy within a hospital offers many advantages for the patient. First of all, immediate intervention by the anesthesia and intensive care team is possible in an emergency. Patients continuing HBO therapy can also benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to their condition within the hospital.

2. What Do Patients Feel During Treatment?

During the first minutes of treatment, known as the “dive”, patients feel the rising pressure inside the chamber, just as they would while a plane is landing or when coming down from high mountains, in their ears. As the pressure increases, patients equalize the pressure in their ears by swallowing or by performing the Valsalva maneuver (taught to the patient before the dive).

3. How Long Does Treatment Take?

An HBOT session usually lasts 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the case. Most patients receive one session per day. In some emergencies, however, more than one session may be given per day. The total number of sessions varies according to the condition, averaging between 30 and 60 sessions for chronic diseases.

4. Does the Treatment Have Side Effects?

The most common side effect is the effect of pressure changes on the ear cavity. This is not dangerous and can be prevented by learning pressure-equalization techniques. Other side effects are rare and include pulmonary barotrauma, oxygen toxicity (lungs and brain), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) and temporary myopia. To prevent side effects, every patient should be examined by a hyperbaric medicine specialist before treatment. The responsible physician can take the necessary precautions and adjust the treatment accordingly.

5. How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has a two-fold mechanism of action.

The first is the mechanical effect caused by the high pressure used during treatment. This effect is used mainly in decompression sickness (the bends) resulting from diving accidents and in arterial gas embolism.

The second is the effect of increased partial pressure of oxygen in the tissues due to breathing 100% pure oxygen in a high-pressure environment; it arises from properties that oxygen does not have under normal conditions. This effect is used mainly in conditions with delayed wound healing.

Inside the pressure chamber where HBO therapy is given, the air pressure is increased to approximately 2–3 times normal pressure. Under these conditions, the solubility of the inhaled pure oxygen in the blood increases and, depending on the pressure applied, can rise up to 20 times the normal level. The blood carries this oxygen throughout the body.

This helps fight bacteria and viruses, reduce edema and release substances such as growth factors and stem cells that contribute to healing. As a result, it can be used as a supportive treatment in all kinds of surgical or aesthetic procedures where wound healing is involved.

6. Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Rejuvenate?

It is fair to say that patients feel relatively more energetic as their illnesses heal. Beyond this, scientific studies published in recent years have shown that HBO therapy improves cognitive function and that telomere length (telomeres are the segments at the end of each DNA strand that protect the chromosomes), one of the key factors in the aging process, increases significantly, by more than 20%, following HBOT.

There are studies showing that it is beneficial in conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, speeds up recovery from sports injuries, reduces bleeding in patients with ulcerative colitis, improves some symptoms seen after COVID (also called long COVID), and enhances cognitive function in dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. Although promising progress has been made regarding its use in these conditions, further studies with scientific evidentiary value are needed. It is known, however, to contribute to the treatment of prosthesis and implant infections, fractures with delayed union, and wound healing after many operations.

While these studies suggest that healthy aging may be possible with HBOT, research is still ongoing.

7. What Should Be Considered in the Pressure Chamber?

Materials that can be affected by pressure or that are easily flammable (such as watches, lighters, fountain pens, mobile phones, electronic devices, perfume and oily creams) must not be taken into the cabin. Patients are advised to come to treatment wearing comfortable cotton clothing. Patients must disclose all information about their medical history to the responsible physician before treatment.

Although the treatment duration can be adjusted according to the patient and the condition, in multi-person chambers several patients are treated together at the same time. The doors of the pressure chamber are locked by the effect of the pressure and cannot be opened until the pressure drops. Patients therefore remain in treatment for the time set for them and cannot leave. In emergencies or if a patient is in distress, it is possible to take the patient out through the emergency compartment without ending the ongoing treatment.

Features of Our System

• Our system is equipped with superior safety equipment recognized by international standards in the United States and Europe.

• The pressure chamber offers media options for our patients, such as watching films and listening to music.

• Our patients are offered a comfortable, spacious treatment environment inside the pressure chamber.

• Up to 12 patients can be treated in the pressure chamber at the same time.

• Two bedridden patients on stretchers can be accommodated at the same time.

• All clinical data are stored in our center’s information system.

• With a closed-circuit television monitoring system, all patients in the entry and main compartments are monitored and the images are recorded digitally.

• Because we are located within the hospital, immediate intervention by the anesthesia and intensive care team is possible in an emergency.

• HBOT patients can benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to their condition within the hospital.