Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

OHIP covers HBOT for 14 strictly approved indications: embolisms, carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, crush injury and compartment syndrome, decompression sickness, enhancement of healing for wounds, exceptional blood loss, intracranial abscess, necrotizing soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, delayed radiation injury, skin grafts and flaps, thermal burns, and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Your physician confirms whether your condition qualifies.

Yes. HBOT at Gericke-Nesbitt Regenerative Medicine is available by physician referral only. There is no option to self-refer or pay privately for this therapy.

Most treatments are 90 minutes of oxygen, about 2 hours in total, and longer protocols can run up to 240 minutes of oxygen (285 minutes in total for the long decompression treatment table). You rest comfortably in the chamber while breathing oxygen, and many patients listen to music, watch TV, or nap. You may feel pressure in your ears, similar to a plane landing.

Treatment courses are prescribed by your physician and typically run as a series of daily sessions over several weeks. We report your progress back to your referring physician throughout.

HBOT is an established medical treatment with a long safety record when it is properly prescribed and supervised. Before treatment begins, your referring physician confirms the therapy is appropriate for your indication, and we review your medical history for anything that needs managing first, such as lung conditions, recent ear or sinus surgery, or certain medications.

The most common effect is pressure in the ears and sinuses during compression and decompression, similar to a plane landing. We teach you how to equalize before your first session, and it settles for most people within a few minutes. Some patients notice a temporary change in near vision over a longer course of treatment, which typically returns to baseline in the weeks after treatment ends. More serious effects are uncommon and are managed by the way treatment is delivered: our team monitors you throughout every session, controls the rate of pressure change, and builds scheduled breaks into longer protocols.

Tell us and your referring physician about any health changes during your course of treatment, including colds, congestion, or changes to your medication, so we can adjust as needed.

For referral information, please visit the external Halton Hyperbarics website.