hyperbaric oxygen therapy
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Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT) has been used in human medicine for many years to treat a long list of varying conditions. The research is vast and easily crosses over to the veterinary world. In the last decade, due to the demand of owner’s wanting their pets treated with the utmost care and treatments, it has advanced veterinary care as well. Many orthopedic and neurologic problems seen in veterinary medicine can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues allowing the body to function and heal itself after injuries and/or after a surgical procedure. When vascular supply is compromised after injury or surgery, it slows tissue regeneration and delays healing times. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy allows oxygen’s critical role in healing tissues to be enhanced by delivering oxygen to damaged or healing tissues 3 to 4 times deeper than normally diffused by red blood cells can reach. Resurge Veterinary Surgical Specialists employs a certified veterinary hyperbaric technician to perform treatments. Patients are prepped and carefully placed in our state of the art chamber where they breathe 100% oxygen at higher pressures than normal. Patients are generally brought up to 1.5-2 ATA (Atmospheres Absolute). This is 1.5-2 times the normal atmospheric pressure. Treatment times after getting the patient up to pressure are generally 30-45 minutes depending on the condition being treated and the size of the patient. Most patients do very well during treatments as the technician is able to monitor them through the acrylic chamber. A phone/ speaker system also allows the technician to talk to the patient if they do appear uncomfortable. However, most patients just take a nap, especially after surgery when they are still somewhat groggy from anesthesia. Dr. Lodato recommends pre and post operative HBOT for wounds, many acute orthopedic problems, and most neurologic conditions. We have a 3 session package that can be added on to surgery when needed. The first treatment is done right before surgery, then the other two are done post-operatively. Single sessions and larger (5-10) packages can also be purchased. Dr. Lodato can help clients decide what’s best for your pet during the initial consultation. Resurge is the only surgery and rehabilitation hospital to offer HBOT in Louisiana with a certified hyperbaric veterinary technician. HBOT is an intricate part of the treatment plan and allows our patients to recover faster. Please contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment for a hyperbaric consultation. Sadie's StorySadie was being treated for severe burns that covered 70% of her body. Her burns were so bad that many of us were not sure if she would live, but we knew that she was special and that she deserved a fighting chance. The communities of veterinary medicine and human medicine came together to give Sadie a life changing treatment called ReCell. She was the first dog to receive a ReCell treatment. Using ReCell, a patient’s own skin cells are harvested and processed, then sprayed onto her wounds to facilitate faster wound healing and tissue growth. Sadie also was treated with hyperbaric oxygen, specialized wound care, and daily bandage changes. If you'd like to learn more about Sadie's story please visit our blog here.
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Part 1 of 3
When I first met Sadie, all I could imagine was her being trapped in her dog house and backed into a corner by a blaze that was taking over where she had usually slept. The burns she had sustained told a horrific story. Her left front leg and the entire left side of her body had the deepest burns. They were full thickness, meaning that she had nothing that was living covering her muscle tissue. She had most likely turned around several times looking for a way out, as her right side was also burned badly, but not full thickness. Before the fire started, she may have felt warm for the first time in a week, since it had been unusually cold in Louisiana during the time that she had sustained her burns. That warmth and comfort likely didn’t last very long, as the space heater that was placed in her dog house along with a nest of straw caught her hay bed on fire. She survived five days in her badly burned condition before we saw her. She was taken to Dr. Liza Ledet, DVM at Mandeville Animal Hospital by her owner. Dr. Ledet referred her to us here at Resurge for hyperbaric oxygen therapy and advanced wound care. None of us, even the senior staff, had ever seen a dog with that much of her body burned before. I remember seeing a dog early in my career that had been stuck under a muffler after being hit by a car, but he was no where near as bad as Sadie was. I decided that I needed to film her journey. I knew it was going to be a long one, and if she lived, then maybe she could be an inspiration to people going through similar traumatic experiences. Sadie’s journey truly has been a long one. She’s had more bandage changes than any other dog I have had the pleasure to help and she continues to surprise me with her strength and willingness to learn, despite her tragic past. The below video is part 1 of 3 and shows how difficult her journey has been. Parts 2 and 3 will be published soon, so please check back to see her whole story. We all hope you can fall in love with her just as much as we have and see her strength as an inspiration the way we do.
When I first met Sadie, all I could imagine was her being trapped in her dog house and backed into a corner by a blaze that was taking over where she had usually slept. The burns she had sustained told a horrific story. Her left front leg and the entire left side of her body had the deepest burns. They were full thickness, meaning that she had nothing that was living covering her muscle tissue. She had most likely turned around several times looking for a way out, as her right side was also burned badly, but not full thickness. Before the fire started, she may have felt warm for the first time in a week, since it had been unusually cold in Louisiana during the time that she had sustained her burns. That warmth and comfort likely didn’t last very long, as the space heater that was placed in her dog house along with a nest of straw caught her hay bed on fire. She survived five days in her badly burned condition before we saw her. She was taken to Dr. Liza Ledet, DVM at Mandeville Animal Hospital by her owner. Dr. Ledet referred her to us here at Resurge for hyperbaric oxygen therapy and advanced wound care. None of us, even the senior staff, had ever seen a dog with that much of her body burned before. I remember seeing a dog early in my career that had been stuck under a muffler after being hit by a car, but he was no where near as bad as Sadie was. I decided that I needed to film her journey. I knew it was going to be a long one, and if she lived, then maybe she could be an inspiration to people going through similar traumatic experiences. Sadie’s journey truly has been a long one. She’s had more bandage changes than any other dog I have had the pleasure to help and she continues to surprise me with her strength and willingness to learn, despite her tragic past. The below video is part 1 of 3 and shows how difficult her journey has been. Parts 2 and 3 will be published soon, so please check back to see her whole story. We all hope you can fall in love with her just as much as we have and see her strength as an inspiration the way we do.
