A skin graft is a piece of skin transplanted onto a complex wound. A skin flap includes skin plus deeper tissues, sometimes muscle, blood vessels, and bone. Wound care specialists and reconstructive and plastic surgeons commonly perform skin transplants.

Skin grafts and flaps require a healthy, oxygenated wound bed to heal. Success may be compromised by an improperly prepared transplant site or by the poor circulatory health of the patient.

Treatment of Skin Grafts and Flaps with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used both to prepare wound sites before transplant and to aid in healing after transplant of skin grafts and flaps. HBOT works by enhancing blood circulation and tissue oxygenation in the wound bed.

HyperbaricLink Evidence Index for Skin Grafts and Flaps

PubMed.gov 286 citations

HBOEvidence.com 1 appraisal

ClinicalTrials.gov 0 trials

The HyperbaricLink Evidence Index is our at-a-glance summary of the clinical evidence on HBOT for the treatment of specific diseases and conditions. Scoring is based solely on our reading and interpretation of the medical literature.

• Disproved - Strong evidence against using HBOT.
• None - Unfavorable results or no published evidence.
• Scant - Early or mixed results with lingering questions.
• Promising - Repeatedly favorable results urging further study.
• Compelling - Strong body of evidence meriting approval.
• Approved - HBOT indicated and widely reimbursed.

Follow the links to our primary sources to read the papers and analyses that have shaped our views. PubMed.gov lists most all scientific papers published in reputable medical journals. HBOEvidence.com critically appraises key studies in the hyperbaric medical literature. ClinicalTrials.gov lists human clinical trials currently enrolling, in progress, and recently completed.

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