Topical hyperbaric oxygen and low energy laser for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Fifty patients with chronic diabetic foot ulcers in whom conventional therapy had failed were treated with topical hyperbaric oxygen alone (15 patients) or in combination with a low energy laser (35 patients). Eleven of these patients were treated on an ambulatory basis with topical hyperbaric oxygen. The mean time the ulcer was present before therapy was 9+/-6.6 months. The mean number of treatments was 25+/-13, and the mean duration of therapy was 3+/-1.8 months. Forty-three of the 50 patients were cured. No adverse reactions were noted. Our impression is that topical hyperbaric oxygen alone or in combination with a low power laser are valuable adjuvants to conventional therapy for diabetic foot ulcers.