St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Riverside installed three hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers over the weekend. At 1,992-pounds each, about the weight of a small car, the chambers were lifted by crane into the fifth floor of the Dillon building, St. Vincent’s new Wound Care Center.
The hyperbaric chambers are sealed capsules pumped full of 100 percent oxygen. They will be used to help the body’s natural ability to heal wounds and prevent limb loss.
Using oxygen under increased pressure speeds healing and repairs tissue damage. The machines will be used mostly to treat wounds caused by diabetes and cancer radiation treatments.
St. Vincent’s said that while patients are inside the chamber, they can relax and watch television, a movie or listen to music. Treatments are about 90 minutes each and patients will be referred to the center by their doctors.
The Wound Care Center will start offering treatments in October.