Hyperbaric Healing at Marion Health

First patient treatment with new equipment completed

By Grace Hooley
ghooley@chronicle-tribune.com

Vaughn Creviston was the first patient to undergo hyperbaric treatment at Marion Health.

Creviston had a surgical wound from removing a mass under his arm, and the wound had stopped its healing process. He was then referred to the Marion Health Wound Center for hyper-baric treatment by his surgeon and the Cancer Center. According to MGH Wound Center Medical Director Dr. Chowdry Pinnamaneni, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy helped build new blood vessels and re-stimulate the healing process of the wound.

“This was my first dealings ever with the Wound Center and the hyperbaric therapy,” Creviston said.

“This has been an exemplary treatment,” he added. “The first day, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. They weren’t sure what kind of a patient I would be. So, the very first day was a testing time. The second day, we were treated as family.”

Creviston said he had heard of hyperbaric therapy, but he was not very familiar with the process. According to Creviston, under the arm is the hardest place for a wound to heal because it is a humid environment. He also said the radiation is what stopped the healing of the wound.

Creviston said he had the wound for two years be-fore beginning hyperbaric therapy. Once he was approved into the process, he went through six weeks, five days a week of “diving,” which is what the two-hour process of placing Creviston in a chamber with 100 percent oxygen to help stimulate healing is called. Pinnamaneni said hyperbaric therapy should help the skin, but they can-not guarantee it will do so. In Creviston’s case, it did.

“The key is hyperbaric helped … He probably wouldn’t have healed with-out hyperbaric,” Pinnamaneni said.

While Pinnamaneni is confident in hyperbaric therapy, he said there are risks, just as with any medical procedure. He compared the process to wearing a seatbelt in the car. While a lot of bad things can happen while driving, taking precautions like wearing the seatbelt can help minimize those negative outcomes.

“Photo provided by the Chronicle-Tribune”