It may look like a space capsule, but this glass chamber is a life saving device for some Southwest Florida patients.

Dr. Robert Kupsaw, Director of Lee Wound Care explains, “There are certain wounds that will benefit from hyperbaric oxygen.” Dr. Kupsaw says patients lie in these hyperbaric chambers to receive extra oxygen to heal stubborn wounds. “If you have one of the minority of wounds that benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the normal course of treatment is 20 to 30 treatments, one treatment a day,” adds Dr. Kupsaw.

This kind of therapy is used to address a wide variety of injuries. “Such as decompression illness in scuba diving, carbon monoxide poisoning which we see at times of hurricanes and power outages, certain types of infections,” says Dr. Kupsaw. These are infections that could come from diabetic complications, blocked arteries, and especially, swelling in the legs.

“A lot of people walk around with swollen legs and don’t do anything about it. That puts you at high risk of getting wound and getting wounds that don’t heal. If you have leg swelling, you shouldn’t ignore it,” warns Dr. Kupsaw. He has seen many cases when persistent swelling is ignored.

He says getting a handle on the problem early can keep people out of the pressure chambers.