Hyperbaric oxygen for wound care
 

I searched the forums for this topic, but did not find much related to HBOT as a treatment for open wounds. I have been dealing with an ulcer on my toe for nine months which waxes and wanes but never heals. Now I have a crater-like sore on the ankle bone of the same foot from a small skin cancer biopsy site which hasn't healed in five months. Circulation tests were fine, but with no small nerve fibers in my feet there is little hope for healing. Surgery to correct the underlying issue is out of the question since that would be unlikely to heal as well.
Now my podiatrist wants to turn me over to the wound center for HBOT. Everything I have read seems geared to diabetic wound care. My neuropathy is hereditary. If anyone has experience with HBOT for wound treatment or an informed opinion I would really appreciate hearing it. The expense will be mostly covered by insurance but it still seems like a huge investment of time and money for something that may be another wasted effort. Thank you.

No personal experience with HBOT. But, I had an uncle who was treated a number of years ago with HBOT for open wounds on his feet with good success. His neuropathy (and the wound healing problems) were diabetes related.

As you said, I think much of the HBOT treatment for PM related wound healing is geared toward diabetics. Since your PN is apparently caused by a different mechanism, its hard to say whether it will help for you.

I would discuss it with the wound care specialists. If they think it has a chance of helping, and it's covered by insurance - why not try it? It is time consuming, but it's non-invasive. Besides, if you can't get those areas to heal, that could lead to some pretty serious additional problems.

I had an abdominal wound that required special wound care for many months (several years ago). They considered HBOT, but after extensive treatment, it finally healed on it's own so I didn't need the HBOT.

It seems logical that diabetics have a hard time with wound healing due to reduced nerve fibers (especially in extremeties) and I know that this was the majority of patients using the HBOT while I was in the wound care center. It was very helpful and really only good option for these patients. Since I was being considered for HBOT, they did discuss its effectiness with me and apparently it has a great success rate (compared to traditional wound care).

Sorry I don't have more to offer, but the impression I got from watching patients use it over the months I was being treated in the wound center and the comments about it's effectness from the staff all were very positive.

im going to a wound center now due to a pressure ulcer on a toe on my right foot which was injured while doing balance therapy and then became infected and the infection got into the bone before i discovered it because my feet are very numb and i feel no pain. my toe was amputated last week.

this center has hyperbaric chambers and they have a good success rate. it is true that most who use it have diabetes but i was told that they also use it for peripheral neuropathy patients who have trouble healing.

im not using it because so far i have been able to heal, the wound closed up but the bone infection got worse even with antibiotics, so the toe had to go. if i don t heal i will have to use it though i have issues with claustrophobia due to past experiences in my job.

anyway the bottom line is i wouldnt hesitate to use it in your case and there are definitely sucess stories at the wound center i go to for people with peripheral neuropathy using it.

Hey Susanne :)
 

My take on it is that it helps heal wounds.....I just think diabetics have a hard time healing so they are the most numerous patients they see.

Does that make sense ? Not sure I explained it right. :rolleyes:

Glad they are wanting to get this healed for you. It's been going on for quite a long time and I'm worried about you.

Your friend,

Debi :hug: :hug:

I really want to thank everyone for responding. I had no idea there was this much experience on here with HBOT. This is exactly what I hoped ( and needed) to hear. I am so discouraged by what we have gone through since February with this, complete off loading, AFO braces to try and change my gait, weight gain from less activity, sores worsening and even beginning to mirror image on the left toe from more activity, repeated infections, that I just didn't believe anything would help. They finally found the cause, a small shell-like layer of bone building up on the ends of the toe joint pressing from the inside out and a weight distribution that is exclusively on heels, balls of feet and big toes. The mid part of my feet don't touch the ground at all, the arch and instep are so contracted The braces stabilize me and reduce the fall risk but do nothing for the weight distribution.
I understand why they stress diabetic neuropathy, it is the great majority of cases, but I think it marginalizes those of us with the same pain and risks from other causes.
I am sorry for the pain and suffering that are responsible for the knowledge echoes and enbloc so generously shared, but i really feel a lot more positive about this after reading what everyone has contributed.
Thank you so much. It seems like such a trivial thing compared to so many other problems but I start each day by cleaning bandaging my feet since February 5th. The thought of not having to do so seems unbelievable.

Debi, of course it makes sense!
I am just being petulant and pessimistic.
They have been very diligent about trying things and I have been very compliant, but beyond kicking the infection nothing has succeeded.

Thank you! Your thoughtfulness with what you are going through amazes me. I could not be this unselfish.

Susanne you are so sweet !
 

Dear Echoes,

I am so sorry to learn of your recent amputation. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Good morning echoes
 

My brother is going through pretty much the same as you are. He's getting ready to have the toe next to his big one removed but I can't remember which foot at the moment.

Because he can't feel his feet and had no idea it had been injured, it wasn't until the inside wound burst open that they knew he had a problem. ER and immediately into the hospital and surgery. He was able to come home with home care doing his IV meds everyday. He had a port or some type of line so they didn't have to run a needle everyday. It took forever for it to heal and the dr wasn't so sure all the bone infection was gone.

Fast forward approx. 2 years and he's getting ready for surgery. He's the type that suffers in silence so we never really know what's going on with him.

I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this but hopefully this will allow your foot to heal completely.

Sorry for sidetracking the thread.

Take care.

Debi from Georgia

Hi St George, thankyou. Its the same toe for me, the second toe. I was going to get 6 weeks of IV antibiotics also, through a PICC line which is the name of the port you are talking about. I was already taking oral antibiotics for 5 weeks, but it took a turn for the worse before the PICC line was put in so it had to come off.

I hope your brothers surgery is successful and that he heals quickly and completely.