Pressurized oxygen for wound care
To heal certain wounds, a new kind of therapy is needed. Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy, which uses pressurized oxygen in a safe environment on hospital grounds to accelerate healing.
Catholic Health has Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Healing Centers at several of its hospitals on Long Island. During HBO therapy, the patient breathes 100% pure oxygen while lying comfortably inside a clear, pressurized chamber. The air pressure is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This high pressure allows the blood to carry more oxygen to damaged organs and tissues, promoting wound healing while fighting infection.
Catholic Health Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Healing locations: Mercy Hospital Rockville Centre (516) 705-3950
St. Joseph Hospital Bethpage (516) 520-2788
St. Charles Hospital Port Jefferson (631) 465-2950
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital Smithtown (631) 784-7200
Good Samaritan University Hospital Bay Shore (631) 969-8383
*Please note that Hyberbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is not available at this location.
Wynstelle Nicholson of Coram was treated with HBO therapy at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson as part of her recovery from breast cancer surgery. “Everybody was exceptional. They made it an easy process from the moment you walked in,” she said. “Everyone here knows what they’re doing. I have to attribute that to St. Charles”, she added.
St. Charles has provided HBO therapy to more than 800 wound patients since opening its Hyperbaric Center in 2022. Program Director Jason Foeppel, RN, says the advanced treatments are making a very positive impact on the lives of patients dealing with chronic or non-healing wounds.
“HBO therapy can really make the difference for cancer survivors,” said Foeppel. “Whether the wound results from surgical removal of a tumor or from radiation therapy, HBO therapy can heal the wound, even years after remission, and really get patients back to living life at their fullest,” he added.
chsli.org/services/wound-care