Allan M. Spiegel M.D. - RSD Therapy

There has been a fair amount of media attention recently dedicated to the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to help prevent the loss of limbs resulting from diabetes.

Those with diabetes are at an increased risk for developing infections. Left untreated or under-treated, foot infections can end up infecting the bone.

Gangrene and tissue death complicate the infection and the diabetic patient will not be able to heal. Amputation is often turned to as the only alternative.

With more than $1.5 billion spent annually on lower limb amputations in response to diabetic complications, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offers effective results in decreasing the need for amputation.

That equates to less patients facing the physical and mental ramifications of amputation, and less of a burden on the health care system for the drastic procedure and resulting therapies.

I recently tweeted about two diabetic men for whom HBOT prevented the need for amputation. The first was a World War II veteran and retired attorney who had been told by a physician that his foot would need to be amputated due to a diabetic foot ulcer, bone infection and peripheral vascular arterial occlusive disease. A vascular surgeon recommended that he seek other treatment and after performing surgery to restore blood flow in the limb, connected him with a multidisciplinary treatment provided by the medical staff at a wound care center in San Marcos, CA. That multidisciplinary approach included an infectious disease physician, a podiatrist and a doctor who specialized in wound care and hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Thanks to the comprehensive care the man received through this well-rounded approach, which includes regular outpatient hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments, he is expected to fully heal. And he did not lose his limb.

The second man whose story I shared was being treated with HBOT in Texas. What began as a red spot on his shin that wouldn’t respond to antibiotic creams, grew until it spread to his other leg. When the man finally went to the hospital, he had a severe infection surrounded by dead muscle and skin. He was diagnosed with diabetes and told by doctors that he might lose his legs. One of his physicians suggested he try HBOT at an area wound care center. Again, the treatment provided was multifaceted with a varied team of physicians, including a hyperbaric oxygen and wound care specialist. After several months of HBOT, the man’s legs are showing new skin growth and a new healthy pink color.

The key to success in these multidisciplinary wound care approaches in patients with diabetes is to treat infected limbs as quickly as possible. By improving blood circulation to help fight infection and encourage healing, HBOT is an integral component to any wound and limb care approach.

Over the past 10 years, I have successfully treated many patients suffering diabetic neuropathy and non-healing wounds. Contact us today to learn more about what HBOT can do for you.