HBOT for delayed radiation injury in Brooklyn
Soft tissue or bone can break down months or years after radiation, long after the cancer treatment itself. Oxygen Clinic uses physician-led hyperbaric oxygen therapy for that delayed injury. It is not a treatment for the tumor.
Injury we review after radiation
Delayed radiation injury of soft tissue and bone is an established indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, recognized by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Radiation can leave tissue with fewer small blood vessels. HBOT is used to support new vessel growth in that injured tissue, together with the dentists, surgeons, or urologists already involved.
People come to us with osteoradionecrosis or threatened bone in the jaw after head and neck radiation, soft-tissue injury of the head and neck, chest wall, abdomen, or pelvis, trouble healing a graft or flap in previously irradiated tissue, and persistent bleeding from radiation cystitis after prostate treatment.
Sources
- Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society: HBO Indications (2020) Includes delayed radiation injury of soft tissue and bone, such as osteoradionecrosis. HBOT is not a cancer treatment.
What a course is for
The aim is healthier soft tissue or bone in the radiated field, not control of cancer. For selected dental extractions or oral surgery in irradiated jaw bone, a planned series before and after the procedure is used to lower the risk of osteoradionecrosis. Your dentist and our clinician set that timing together.
For radiation cystitis, HBOT is one option for bleeding that has not settled with urologic care. It does not stop bleeding in every person. Oncology decisions stay with your cancer physicians. Tell us about active cancer treatment, chemotherapy, and any medicine that needs a hyperbaric review.
Evaluation, sessions, and coverage
Bring the radiation summary, the site that was treated, and notes from the specialist following the injury. Dental films matter for jaw cases. Urology notes matter for bladder bleeding. A clinician screens your lungs, ears, and medicines before the first session.
Many visits last about 90 minutes. Delayed radiation injury is often treated as a course of many sessions, adjusted to how the tissue responds. Insurers commonly review this indication, and coverage still depends on the plan, the diagnosis, and authorization. Self-pay can be discussed if a plan will not authorize treatment.
Questions before you come
No. HBOT is for tissue injured by prior radiation. Questions about the cancer itself belong with your oncologist.
Your dentist or oral surgeon and our clinician review the films and whether a series around the extraction is appropriate. Do not start sessions on your own timeline.
Call before you come. Congestion, an ear infection, or a new fever can make pressure changes unsafe that day.