What Researchers Did
Researchers combined the results of 11 studies to see how hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) relates to recovery after aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery.
What They Found
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies covering 734 patients found a pooled mean healing time of 11.30 days (95% CI: 10.46 to 12.14) among patients who received HBOT, which was used mostly after surgery (90.9% of cases). Of the total patients studied, 416 (56.7%) received HBOT, most often following procedures like abdominoplasty (36.4%) and breast aesthetic surgery (27.3%). HBOT sessions in the included studies lasted 45 to 120 minutes at pressures of 2.0 to 3.0 ATA. Patient satisfaction was consistently high, with early satisfaction rates reaching up to 88.2%.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The authors note significant variability in study designs and HBOT protocols across the included studies, and call for well-designed randomized controlled trials to establish standardized guidelines.