KOCHI: Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy has been introduced at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.
In the case of some patients who develop foot ulcers, the affliction takes a lot of time to heal owing to myriad medical issues such as problems related to nerve endings and also less amount of blood supply. As a result, the afflicted area does not get enough oxygen. This shortage of oxygen in the tissues is one of the main causes for the delay in wound healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides oxygen at high pressure and this helps to accelerate the healing of foot wounds. Patients have to sit inside a chamber and breathe the high pressure oxygen.
Each sitting is for about half an hour a day and typically it takes 10 to 12 sittings for the wound to start healing. AIMS is the only centre in Kerala, has a hyperbaric oxygen facility to cater to a large number of diabetic foot patients.