[Hyperbaric oxygen therapy--an adjuvant therapeutic procedure with problem cases in reconstructive bone surgery]

Prolonged and compromised wound-healing, i.e. in scar tissue or after irradiation, often causes problems, especially when free transplants, for example for bony reconstruction of the mandible after resection of tumor, are used. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) means breathing of pure (100%) oxygen under increased athmospherical pressure. HBO induces high oxygen partial pressure in all tissues and also has an antioedematous effect, causes activation of fibroblasts and macrophages, stimulates angioneogenesis and has a bacteriostatic and bacteriocidic effect. We used HBO since 1991 in 27 patients, nine of them underwent bony reconstruction of the mandible. In our opinion HBO is a very helpful tool in the management of problem-wound-healing, assisting the classical surgical principles.