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Hyperbaric Medicine Services University Hospital has the only accredited, hospital-based Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit in Central New York.
About Hyperbaric Oxygen TherapyThrough the use of a special chamber that increases atmospheric pressure, hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers 100 percent oxygen throughout the entire body. The increased level of oxygen enters the blood and body tissues to promote healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was initially used to treat deep-sea divers with decompression sickness known as "the bends." However, over the past few decades, the role of this unique therapy has expanded to include the treatment of a number of other medical conditions, particularly those that do not respond to other therapies. Conditions We TreatConditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy include: carbon monoxide poisoning; decompression sickness; air or gas embolism; acute anaerobic infections; chronic non-healing wounds; skin grafts and flaps; severe crush injuries; exceptional blood loss anemia (when religious beliefs or an inability to cross-match blood make transfusion impractical); and late effect injuries from radiation therapy. From time to time there are claims that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being used to successfully treat a number of other medical conditions. However, there is little or no clinical evidence to support these claims. At University Hospital we adhere strictly to treating only the conditions approved by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). The list is reviewed every two years. UHMS, whose mission is to promote sound treatment protocols and standards of practice, is recognized worldwide as the primary source of information on hyperbaric medicine. The Hospital AdvantageUniversity Hospital has the only Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit in Central New York accredited by UHMS, a distinction accorded to only 25 other facilities in the United States. The unit is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to care for medical emergencies. These include gas poisonings, amputations and other severe wounds, and, increasingly, gas embolisms that can occur during surgery. Since we are a hospital-based unit, in the unlikely event of a problem during treatment, it is reassuring to know that our physicians and nurses have the support of other skilled health professionals and access to the resources of the entire hospital. We provide the referring physician with frequent status reports throughout the course of a patient's treatment. Our registered nurses are happy to answer questions from physicians, patients or family members prior to, during, or after treatment. Our Expert CliniciansThe staff of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit are nationally recognized for their skill and experience. In addition to many years of practice in the specialty of hyperbaric medicine, they have experience in emergency and critical care medicine. Members of our staff frequently provide advice to other hyperbaric oxygen therapy centers and are also involved in extensive community education activities on carbon monoxide poisoning. John B. McCabe, MD, the physician director, is board eligible for certified for the subspecialty of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Wendy Merritt, RN, clinical manager, is chair of the Research Committee for the Baromedical Nurses Association. Members of our staff are involved in research in the field of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and have published clinical evaluation data for the past 10 years. Our expertise in hyperbaric medicine is acknowledged by the fact that administrators of the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs consider the Hyperbaric Medicine program at University Hospital to be a model for other facilities in the United States. Equally importantly, our unit is very highly regarded by our patients and their families and consistently scores in the top percentile in patient satisfaction surveys. Contact UsFor further information on how we can help you with our hyperbaric needs:
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