The Hyperbaric Center at Parkwest Medical Center

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) delivers high doses of oxygen to the body, through specialized headgear inside a pressurized air treatment room. This combination allows the oxygen to dissolve into each patient’s bloodstream and helps reduce swelling, control infections, and stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. HBOT is adjunctive therapy that must be used as part of a larger healthcare plan to complete treatment.

Adding HBOT to a patient’s treatment plan is proven to significantly increase healing when compared to following standard care alone.

Hyperbaric treatments are two hours long and ideally patients should attend treatment six days a week. While each patient’s treatment is planned on an individual basis, most participants average six to 10 weeks of visits to the Center.

HBOT is an evidence-based treatment, demonstrated to heal and reduce the severity of wounds and infections. In patients who complete the treatment recommended by their physicians, the rate of healing is often greater than 85%.

Before each treatment, your vital signs will be measured and you will be evaluated by our onsite physician. You will then select a seat in the treatment chamber, where a trained technician is present at all times.

As the treatment begins and the room pressurizes, you may feel your ears popping as your body adjusts to the changes. When treatment pressure is reached inside the chamber, you will put your headgear on. You may then choose to relax, read, nap or watch a movie on the widescreen television.

Food and drink are permitted in the chamber. After treatment, you will be able to go about your daily routine without any side effects.

There are many strategies we encourage our Tennessee patients to take, when it comes to ensuring the most positive outcomes of your hyperbaric treatments at Parkwest Medical Center.

These tips include:

• Attend appointments consistently throughout your treatment.
• Rest and eat a balanced diet.
• If you smoke, it would be beneficial to quit or cut down. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to your tissues.

After receiving a referral from your physician, one of our coordinators will contact you to discuss your treatment plan. Most insurance companies cover HBOT, including Medicare and Medicaid.

For additional information about our Hyperbaric Center at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, TN, you can download our free brochure (PDF).