'Miracle' cure: Gretchen's journey to wound healing with hyperbaric oxygen

Gretchen Brown never expected to find the answers to her medical problems in an enclosed acrylic chamber full of pure oxygen. Her journey began with an inherited genetic mutation known as Lynch syndrome, which made cancer screenings a fact of life.

Lynch syndrome increases the risk of cancer, so Gretchen underwent many 3D mammograms and ultrasound screenings as part of her ongoing care. Last year, during a routine screening, doctors discovered a lump in her right breast.

Gretchen, a 44-year-old mother of two, underwent a lumpectomy to remove concerning tissue from her right breast so it could be examined with a biopsy. The findings were not what she had hoped. Unfortunately, tests confirmed pre-cancerous cells in Gretchen's breast.

Under the guidance of her physician, Gretchen had preventative surgery, a bilateral double mastectomy with immediate DIEP (deep inferior epigastric artery perforator) flap. With this technique, surgeons recreate the patient's breast with abdominal skin and fat that they retrieve through a procedure like a tummy tuck. They do not use an implant with a DIEP flap and surgeons are able to keep most of the abdominal muscle in place.

Double mastectomies reduce the risk of breast cancer by at least 95 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. Even with this promising statistic, Gretchen had a tough road ahead as she healed from two complex surgeries.

Reconstruction surgeries

Reconstruction was an important next step in her journey. Gretchen underwent two reconstructive surgeries in which everything went as well as could be expected. However, through no fault of anyone, her body just was not happy with the change.

Gretchen developed serious wounds on her chest and her abdomen that would not heal. She was at risk of losing her reconstructed left breast, among other complications that can arise from stubborn, non-healing wounds.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Through an online breast cancer support group, Gretchen learned about the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for healing. Upon further investigation, she discovered the Sentara Wound Healing Center on the campus of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge, not far from where she lives.

The Sentara Wound Healing Center offered exactly what she needed: state-of-the-art medical care, compassionate and professional staff and support helping her heal. HBOT is used to treat challenging wounds and sores by sending high levels of oxygen into the blood to speed healing.

During HBOT, a person enters the enclosed, high-pressure chamber for about two hours while skilled specialists monitor the patient. This is known as a “dive.” While they are in the clear acrylic chamber, the person breathes pure oxygen in an environment two to three times more pressurized than normal air pressure. As the extra oxygen circulates in the blood, the body releases substances that help with healing.

Taking a deep dive

Initially, Gretchen admitted she feared the process as she is quite claustrophobic.

"I was not thrilled about dives in an enclosed chamber being the solution to the massive wound healing issue I was facing," Gretchen stresses. "In fact, I went so far as to ask if there was another option available."

As Gretchen explains, the support from the Sentara Would Healing Center, including the medical director Dr. Carol Shapiro, made all the difference.

"Dr. Shapiro made sure that I understood the course of treatment," Gretchen adds. "I met with the HBOT technician, Nick, who took the time to answer all of my questions. Nick not only explained the entire dive process, addressing every concern, but he helped me feel at ease."

Even though she was prepared, Gretchen was nervous about her first "dive." To prepare for it, Dr. Shapiro took her blood pressure and checked her ears, which is standard procedure before each dive. Nick patiently waited until she was settled in the chamber and ready for the doors to close.

"What is extra special about the hyperbaric process is that you do have a few options for distraction or entertainment," Gretchen explains. "Between the ability to see your surroundings in a clear chamber, you can also watch television, a DVD movie, use a Roku stick or listen to music."

By the end of her first week, Gretchen was calm enough to nap during her dives.

"Between the comfort of the chamber and the way the entire wound center team helps you feel at ease, I have felt at home,” she says.

'Miracle worker'

Having completed 50 of the 60 prescribed dives, Gretchen is amazed by how rapidly the hyperbaric chamber worked to help heal her wounds. She is proud to report that she is 98.6 percent healed at this point in her treatment plan.

With so many noticeable differences, even by the end of her first week, her surgeon felt confident enough to see Gretchen less frequently.

"As I near the end of treatment, I cannot help but feel as though the hyperbaric chamber has been nothing short of a miracle worker," Gretchen reflects. "Six out of seven wounds have successfully closed. The progress is truly remarkable. I would absolutely recommend hyperbaric oxygen therapy to anyone who qualifies."

Gretchen felt she was in "the best hands" with her care at Sentara. Because of her healing success, Gretchen's surgeon has recommended Sentara Wound Healing Center and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to other patients.

"It means so much to know that my experience will be helpful to others," Gretchen says. "Though it may be cliché, I truly feel that I walked in as a patient, and I will leave feeling like part of the Wound Care Family."

 

Learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy by contacting the Sentara Would Healing Center at 703-523-0660 or visit the Sentara website at Wound Healing.