Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an outpatient treatment that typically takes about an hour and a half.  

It is supervised by medical professionals, generally considered safe and often used alongside other medical treatments. 

Our approach to hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, helps your body receive more oxygen than it can under normal conditions.  

During treatment, you breathe 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The pressure is two to three times higher than normal air pressure.  

This allows oxygen to move more deeply into your blood and tissues.  

At UCI Health, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is provided in a medically supervised hospital environment. This is important because HBOT is used to treat serious conditions, including chronic wounds, burns, radiation injuries and decompression sickness.  

Conditions treated by HBOT:

• Bone and skin infections
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Compromised skin grafts and flaps
• Decompression sickness
• Injuries from radiation therapy
• Minor and complex wounds that have difficulty healing
• Wounds caused by complications of diabetes

For some conditions, HBOT is a primary treatment. For many others, it is an adjuvant therapy. That means it supports and strengthens your main treatment plan, such as medication, surgery, wound care or infection management.  

Our goal is to help damaged tissues heal, improve oxygen delivery and support your recovery as safely as possible.

Acute traumatic blood loss, crushing injuries or thermal burns

Benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may support healing and recovery in several ways.  

Benefits may include: 

• 100% pure oxygen delivered into your lungs at high pressure 
• Deeper oxygen absorption than usual 
• Cellular repair and tissue healing 
• Growth of new blood vessels 
• Stimulation of collagen and skin cell growth 
• Mobilization of stem cells 
• Enhanced immune response 
• Weakening of certain bacteria 
• Support for antibiotic medicines 
• Reduced inflammation and swelling 
• Rapid elimination of carbon monoxide  

Your results depend on your condition, treatment plan and overall health. 

What to expect from HBOT treatment

Before HBOT begins, we will make sure treatment is safe for you.  

Your care team will review your medical history. They may also check your ears and lungs before treatment.  

To prepare, you may be asked to: 

• Wear a hospital gown 
• Avoid cosmetics 
• Avoid creams 
• Avoid hair products 
• Remove items that are not allowed in the chamber  

During treatment, you will sit or lie in an enclosed chamber. 

You may feel pressure in your ears, similar to the feeling during an airplane takeoff.  

During your session, you may be able to: 

• Sleep 
• Listen to music or an audiobook 
• Watch videos

Your care team will explain how many sessions you may need. 

Why choose UCI Health for hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Medical supervision throughout treatment  

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy requires careful monitoring.  

At UCI Health, clinicians supervise your session to help protect your safety. This is especially important if you are being treated for a serious condition such as burns, radiation injury, infection or a chronic wound.  

A hospital-based environment  

Some medical spas offer HBOT for off-label uses that are not FDA approved.  

At UCI Health, HBOT takes place in a healthcare environment with trained medical professionals. This adds an important layer of safety and clinical expertise.  

Strict oxygen safety protocols  

An oxygen-rich environment requires careful safety standards.  

We closely monitor what you can bring into the chamber. We also determine the right treatment schedule and breaks for your condition.  

Care connected to your broader treatment plan  

HBOT is often one part of a larger care plan.  

Your treatment may support wound care, infection management, surgery, physical therapy or reconstructive surgery. This coordinated approach helps address the condition behind your symptoms.  

Research-informed care  

As Orange County’s only academic health system, UCI Health leads clinical research across many areas of medicine.  

This research focus helps clinicians stay connected to emerging treatments, tools and techniques.