For more information on hyperbaric oxygen therapy or #YaleMedicine, visit: Avascular Necrosis & Osteonecrosis Program | Departments | Yale Medicine
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or chamber. This therapy increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can help promote healing, reduce inflammation, and improve overall health.
When Dave Boyett woke up after an operation to try to halt an out-of-control infection in his foot, what he saw brought him to tears – in a good way. "I looked down there, and it was all bandaged up. My foot was still attached, and it was a huge [relief]. And, yeah, I started to cry right there. I was so thankful."
Boyett's surgeon had prepared him for the possibility that amputation might be necessary. But, in the weeks leading up to the surgery, his doctors had sent him to more than two dozen therapy sessions in a hyperbaric chamber. "In its simplest form, hyperbaric therapy, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy, is breathing oxygen at a higher pressure than [our normal] atmosphere," says Dr. Paul Claus, the medical director for Mayo Clinic's Hyperbaric and Altitude Medicine Program.
Dr. Paul Claus, outgoing medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Hyperbaric and Altitude Medicine Program, discusses the hyperbaric oxygen therapy program at Mayo Clinic.
This interview originally aired Dec. 2, 2017.
Copyright © 2026 RxAir360 Inc. - All Rights Reserved.