Hyperbaric Oxygen and Wound Healing Center - Dignity Health - St. John's Hospital

A wound care center is a specialized medical facility that provides care for patients who have chronic, slow-healing or complex wounds. Wound care centers use a team-based approach to evaluate and treat wounds using a variety of advanced therapies. Our care team at the Wound Healing Center at Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center includes general surgeons, infectious disease specialists and internal medicine specialists.

We care for a variety of conditions related to complex wounds, including:

• Bone infection

• Burns

• Chronic and nonhealing wounds

• Diabetic foot ulcers

• Failing or compromised skin grafts

• Late effects of radiation therapy

• Necrotizing fasciitis (gangrene)

• Neuropathic ulcers

• Pressure injuries or bedsores

• Skin tears or lacerations

• Surgical site infections

• Venous insufficiency

• Wounds from trauma

We use the latest, evidence-based wound care therapies and technologies to support healing, including:

• Debridement (removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue) 

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

• Ostomy-related skin and wound care

• Skin replacement (bioengineered tissue substitutes)

• Vacuum-assisted wound closure

Advanced wound care may include:

• Compression wraps and therapy

• Diagnostic testing, such as vascular testing, blood tests and imaging

• Infection control

• Nutritional evaluation and counseling, including for diabetes

• Pressure-relieving devices

• Specialized wound dressing

• Wound education and prevention

At our Hyperbaric Oxygen and Wound Healing Center, we have a highly trained team of general surgeons, internists, registered nurses and technicians dedicated to healing complex wounds.

If you’re referred to the center by your primary care provider (PCP), you’ll remain under their care throughout your treatment. Our team works closely with your PCP to coordinate your care.

At your first visit, our specialists will review your medical history, evaluate the cause and severity of your wound, and work with you to create a personalized treatment plan. We’ll discuss what to expect during future visits, and we’ll give you clear guidance for how to care for your wound between appointments.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment that supports wound healing. You sit or lie down in a room called a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, in which the air pressure slowly increases to 100% oxygen. Breathing pure oxygen quickly delivers high concentrations of oxygen to the wound and bloodstream, stimulating new blood vessel growth, improving blood flow and reducing infection.

The chamber has a reclining bed and a clear window that allows you and your care team to see each other. You can listen to music or watch television or movies inside the chamber while you receive treatment.

You may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy if you have wounds such as:

• Arterial insufficiency

• Bone infections (osteomyelitis) that don’t respond to typical treatments

• Compromised or failing skin grafts or flaps

• Crush injuries

• Decompression illness

• Lower body wounds caused by diabetes, such as diabetic foot ulcers

• Skin infections

• Soft tissue or bone injuries from radiation therapy

• Traumatic injuries that cause loss of blood flow to limbs (traumatic peripheral ischemia)

• Wounds that haven't improved after four weeks of treatment

No, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not painful. It may cause a temporary, uncomfortable sensation in your ears during the pressurization phase of treatment. During this phase, the slowly increasing pressure pushes on your eardrums. This can create a popping sensation or fullness similar to when you take off in an airplane or dive to the bottom of a swimming pool. Our specialists are here for you throughout treatment and work with you to help relieve any discomfort.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy typically takes about two hours. This includes the time it takes to pressurize and depressurize the chamber, in addition to 90 minutes of treatment time.

Most health insurance plans cover wound care services when they are medically necessary, but coverage may vary based on your plan, type of wound and number of visits allowed. The Hyperbaric Oxygen and Wound Healing Center is an approved provider for Medicare and Medi-Cal.

To make sure you have access to the care you need, we recommend confirming your insurance coverage, eligibility and benefits before your visit. If you have questions about the plans we accept, please contact our office. We handle the admission authorization from insurance companies.