Mumbai Jaslok Hospital inaugurates HBOT Departm

Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre recently inaugurated its Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). It is the first private hospital in Mumbai to have a HBOT department.
The department treats acute traumatic wounds, chronic non-healing wounds and ulcers, crush injuries, burns, gas gangrene, amputation stumps etc. 
The treatment is carried out in a specialised chamber, which accommodates a single patient. The entire chamber is pressurised with 100 per cent oxygen, which the patient breathes directly. By providing pure oxygen at a high pressure in this chamber, 10–15 times more oxygen is delivered to the tissues. Promoting the growth of new blood vessels, to decrease swelling and inflammation, deactivating toxins, increasing the body’s ability to fight infections, clearing out toxins and metabolic waste products and improving the rate of healing are some of the effects of this treatment.
Dr. Shoaib Padaria, Interventional Cardiologist and Director of the HBOT Department, Jaslok Hospital, said, “Awareness about HBOT treatment in India is very minimal. People do not know about various diseases in which this treatment can be used. Earlier, its use was restricted to diving sickness, but now it’s widely used in treating infected wounds, diabetic foot, peripheral arterial ischemia blockages, varicose ulcers, early gangrene, carbon monoxide poisoning, various infections, damage caused by radiation treatments, near drowning, near hanging, brain and nervous disorders, cardiovascular disorders and some digestive disorders. It acts as an ancillary treatment in aid to the normal treatment making the process quicker.”
HBOT is a cost effective, non-invasive and safe treatment. The state-of-the-art chamber at Jaslok Hospital is approximately 6mx3mx2m, larger than any used in the country. The number of treatments required varies between patients, depending on the disease and can range from two to 30 sittings. Each sitting lasts for two hours maximum. Side effects of the treatment are also uncommon. Patients can talk, read, rest and sleep etc. during
 the treatment.
Kanta Masand, Trustee, Jaslok hospital,  said, “HBOT treatment is showing promising results where conventional therapies could not cure diseases and we always believe in going that
extra mile to serve our patients with the best technology and innovation possible.”