HBOT for for Before and After Surgery — OxyGeneration — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinic

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Before and After Surgery

A woman sitting on a bench at an outdoor basketball court, drinking from a green water bottle, with a basketball on the ground beside her, wearing athletic clothing, sneakers, and a knee brace.

HBOT to Support Recovery From Surgery

Surgery places physical stress on the body and starts a natural healing response. During recovery, tissues require oxygen to support healing, blood vessel repair, and immune function.

Some people recover quickly following surgery, while others may experience ongoing swelling, bruising, discomfort, delayed healing, or concerns about blood supply to healing tissues.

Depending on the operation and your individual medical circumstances, additional supportive therapies such as HBOT may sometimes be considered as part of a broader recovery plan,

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Inside a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber with colourful seats, LED lighting, monitors, and safety equipment.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing high-concentration oxygen through a mask in a pressurised chamber.

This allows more oxygen to dissolve into the bloodstream and reach tissues with reduced blood supply.

Oxygen plays a key role in many normal processes within the body, including healing and recovery. By increasing oxygen availability, HBOT can support tissue repair, collagen production, new blood vessel formation, and the body’s immune responses that help manage infection.

By reducing substances in the body that drive inflammation (inflammatory cytokines), HBOT may also help to ease swelling and discomfort.

HBOT is always used in addition to standard medical treatment, not as a replacement.

A woman seated in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber wearing an oxygen chamber, reading a book.

A person in a blue shirt handing a pink dumbbell to a woman in a white shirt, with both standing against a plain background.

When HBOT May Be Considered Before or After Surgery

HBOT may sometimes be considered before or after surgery as part of a wider treatment or recovery plan, particularly where:

There are concerns about tissue oxygenation or circulation
A graft, flap, or surgical wound is healing slowly
Underlying factors may affect healing

HBOT may help support tissue repair and healing.

Abstract close-up of oxygen bubbles in transparent tubes, set against a blue background.

Research on HBOT for Post-Surgical Recovery

Research has examined HBOT in a range of surgical settings, including wound healing, skin grafts and flaps, reconstructive surgery, and recovery from tissue injury. Studies suggest HBOT may support healing where tissues have a reduced blood supply, where complications have already occurred, or where patients are at higher risk of impaired recovery.

HBOT is well established as an adjunct to surgical care for compromised grafts and flaps and for radiation-related tissue injury and is increasingly used to support recovery in a wider range of procedures. As with any therapy, HBOT works best as part of a coordinated recovery plan tailored to the individual.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37529413/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36545638/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31772875/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24922652/
https://www.uhms.org/resources/featured-resources/hbo-indications.html

OxyGeneration provides HBOT in a calm clinical environment, delivered by a trained and experienced team.

Some clients are referred by a healthcare professional, but self-referral is also welcome. All clients complete a screening questionnaire to check suitability. In some situations, we may ask clients to confirm suitability with their GP or medical specialist before proceeding.

The number of sessions recommended before or after surgery will depend on individual circumstances and response to treatment, but typically may include 30-40 sessions.

OxyGeneration does not provide emergency medical treatment. We do not diagnose or manage medical conditions, and HBOT is not a replacement for standard medical care. Clients remain under the supervision of their GP or consultant for the management of their condition. As with all treatments, outcomes can vary from person to person.

What to Expect at OxyGeneration

Modern indoor reception area with colourful chairs, a small table, indoor plants, a kitchenette, and a large blue hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber.

Three women engaged in a discussion while signing documents at a table, with one standing and holding an oxygen breathing mask.

Important Information

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not suitable for everyone.

Please visit our Suitability page for further information.

Testimonial

“In May 2021, I went into A&E when I developed an Ulcer on the bottom of my Left Ankle. To my astonishment, the doctor informed me that I had broken my ankle in a number of places and that I had sepsis. I immediately underwent surgery to remove the bone fragments and remove the dead tissue that surrounded them. I was left with a 5cm x 5cm x 3 cm hole at the base of my foot and I was told that I had severe Osteomyelitis in my ankle. At a meeting between 3 consultants, Orthopaedics, Infectious Diseases and Vascular, and myself, two of the consultants suggested that the only course of action to kill the infection was to amputate the ankle. I informed them that I was starting a course of Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment over the next 6 weeks, 5 days a week. Two of the consultants said that it wouldn’t change the outcome while the third was willing to see what had happened after 3 weeks. After 3 weeks of treatment i.e. 15 sessions, the hole in my foot was reduced in size and the infection was under control to the amazement of the Vascular consultant who now asked for this treatment for all of his patients. It took a further 9 weeks of treatment before the wound had completely closed. My knowledge of Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment saved my leg. I encourage all people suffering from open wounds to seek out such treatment as it benefitted me greatly and open the eyes of three consultants as to its benefits.”

— Ivor