Hyperbaric wound care clinic opens in Sudbury

On Tuesday, the Sudbury Hyperbarics and Wound Care clinic celebrated its grand opening in the city’s south end.

The therapy sees patients enter a pressurized chamber that delivers a high concentration of oxygen to promote healing.

The clinic can treat non-healing wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers and delayed radiation injuries, as well as crush injuries and burns.

In all, OHIP pays for 14 treatments available at the clinic. Before the clinic opened, northern patients needed to travel to Barrie or Toronto to receive the treatment.

“I was starting to hear stories where patients they would consider the treatment, but just because of the obligations that they had here with their homes, their families, their jobs, they just weren’t able to make that time commitment,” said Dr. Renee Jacques, managing director of the clinic.

“So we kind of started to realize that there was a big need and that it could make a big difference for patients here in Sudbury and also northern Ontario.”

Jacques said once patients start treatment, they often spend two hours a day in the chamber, Monday to Friday, for up to 40 sessions.

While that’s a substantial time commitment, she said patients here are already seeing the benefits.

“One patient, even though they’re only a week and a half in, (told) us that some of their symptoms have improved and their quality of life is improving,” Jacque said.

“We have some patients who are hopeful for limb preservation and so that’s a big deal.”

Marshall Wray, who lives in Timmins, said he has been trying to heal a wound for 14 months. Wray just completed his sixth session and says he’s feeling hopeful.

“I’ve explored many different treatment options, and this seems to be the best in terms of delivering oxygen to the wound (and) creating new blood vessels, cognitive clearing that up,” he said.

The clinic currently has six chambers but officials said they have room for six more should there be a need to expand.

While patients are able to self-refer, people are being encouraged to get a doctor’s referral because therapy will be in addition to care, not a replacement.