There have been research findings from clinical research studies on the safety and effectiveness of hyperbaric chambers for various maladies.
Skin Grafts and Flaps
One study examined the efficacy of HBOT used to treat tissue grafts and flaps. The findings concluded that HBOT can “increase the likelihood of composite graft survival, improve skin graft outcomes, and enhance flap survival.”
The study authors also explain that HBOT is “not indicated for healthy, non-compromised tissue, but is a valuable salvage adjunct in the treatment of threatened grafts and flaps.”
Traumatic Brain Injury
In human studies involving those with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), HBOT was deemed a “promising, safe, therapeutic strategy for severe TBI patients.” Note, this does not mean that there is clear evidence that HBOT is effective for traumatic brain injuries—more research studies are needed in this area.
Safety
In one report by the United States Government Accountability Office, three article reviews found that HBO therapy was safe.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Although HBOT has been touted as one of the most effective procedures for cerebral palsy, one double-blind placebo study (the gold standard of clinical research studies) discovered that HBOT was no different than pressurized air for kids with CP.
Osteomyelitis
According to Dan Rose, M.D., in an American Family Physician journal entry, “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is associated with remission rates [a period during which symptoms of disease are reduced or disappear] of 81 to 85 percent at two to three years in patients with chronic refractory osteomyelitis.”