Podiatry

At Scottsdale Hyperbaric Center, we offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as a complementary treatment to enhance recovery for patients with various podiatric conditions. Whether your patients are recovering from podiatric surgery, managing diabetic foot ulcers, or dealing with more severe conditions such as gangrene or acute traumatic peripheral ischemia, HBOT plays a vital role in promoting healing and improving outcomes.

HBOT is particularly beneficial for patients with Wagner grade 3 diabetic foot ulcers, chronic refractory osteomyelitis, acute peripheral arterial thrombosis, and severe cases of acute crush injury. By increasing tissue oxygenation, HBOT accelerates healing, reduces inflammation, and improves circulation in the lower extremities, allowing your patients to recover faster and with fewer complications.

How HBOT Benefits Podiatry Patients

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy offers numerous advantages for podiatry patients, particularly those dealing with chronic conditions or recovering from surgery. Here’s how HBOT can help:

• Enhances Fibroblast Proliferation and Collagen Synthesis: Fibroblasts are crucial for wound healing. HBOT stimulates fibroblast activity, encouraging collagen production and reducing the formation of fibrotic tissue, which is important for improving the appearance and strength of healed wounds.
• Promotes Leukocyte Oxidative Killing: HBOT improves the function of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections. By enhancing the oxidative killing ability of leukocytes, HBOT helps prevent infections in wounds, especially in diabetic patients and those with compromised immune systems.
• Anti-Inflammatory Effect: Swelling and edema are common in many podiatric conditions, including diabetic foot ulcers and traumatic injuries. HBOT has a potent anti-inflammatory effect, helping to reduce swelling, improve circulation, and speed up recovery.
• Stimulates Angiogenesis: One of the key benefits of HBOT is its ability to stimulate angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). This is particularly beneficial in patients with poor circulation, such as those with diabetic foot ulcers or peripheral arterial insufficiency, as it improves oxygen delivery to the tissues.
• Synergistic Effect with Antibiotics: HBOT enhances the effectiveness of antibiotics by improving their penetration into tissues, particularly in infected areas. This is especially important for patients with chronic osteomyelitis or soft tissue infections where bacterial organisms thrive in low-oxygen environments.
• Enhances Stem Cell Proliferation: HBOT stimulates the production of stem cells from the bone marrow, directing them to the area of injury. This helps to regenerate tissues, especially in cases of severe wounds or trauma.
• Reduces Intravascular Leukocyte Adherence in Crush Injury: Crush injuries often result in reperfusion injury when blood flow is restored to the affected tissues. HBOT helps reduce leukocyte adherence, decreasing the inflammatory response and promoting faster healing.

Common Podiatry Conditions Treated with HBOT

HBOT has been proven to be an effective adjunctive treatment for a variety of conditions seen in podiatry:

• Wagner Grade 3 Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Diabetic foot ulcers are a common complication of diabetes, and HBOT has shown to significantly accelerate wound healing and reduce the risk of amputation.
• Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis: For patients with chronic bone infections, HBOT helps increase oxygenation to the infected area, enhancing the efficacy of antibiotics and promoting tissue regeneration.
• Acute Peripheral Arterial Thrombosis/Occlusion/Insufficiency: HBOT improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues affected by vascular issues, such as thrombosis or occlusion, which helps to reduce ischemia and promote healing.
• Acute Traumatic Peripheral Ischemia: In cases of acute trauma that result in compromised blood flow to the limbs, HBOT improves oxygenation and helps tissues survive and regenerate.
• Acute Crush Injury: Crush injuries are often accompanied by significant tissue damage, swelling, and potential loss of limb function. HBOT accelerates healing, reduces swelling, and restores oxygen supply to damaged tissues.
• Gangrene: In severe cases of infection or poor circulation, gangrene may develop. HBOT is an essential treatment for halting the spread of necrosis and restoring oxygen to compromised tissues, reducing the need for amputation.