What Researchers Did
Researchers treated six patients undergoing periorbital reconstruction postoperatively with adjunct hyperbaric oxygen therapy since 1982.
What They Found
All six patients who received adjunct hyperbaric oxygen therapy for periorbital reconstruction showed uniformly favorable results. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to accelerate primary revascularization of full-thickness skin grafts and large composite grafts by raising tissue oxygen tension in hypoxic areas.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing complex periorbital reconstruction, particularly when blood supply is compromised, might potentially benefit from adjunct hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve healing and graft survival. This could offer an additional treatment option for challenging reconstructive cases.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study is limited by its small sample size of six patients and the lack of a matched control group to definitively prove efficacy.