Our HBOT Team Is Led By

Image of Technician Vicki LandauVicki Landau, BS, CVT

Vicki Landau graduated from Misericordia University in 1996 with a BS in Biology. She worked with a VMD who had a special interest in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery for over 3 years. Following that she worked at VREC in Norwalk, CT rotating through various departments eventually becoming the surgical technician supervisor for the last 2 of her 5 years there. She worked as the surgical technician supervisor for over 6 years at Cheshire Animal Hospital and then 2 years at Newtown Veterinary Specialists. Vicki joined us at Central Hospital in 2014 as our Technician Training Coordinator. Pain management and anesthesia are her primary interests, but she also loves working closely with doctors during critical cases.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) utilizes a specialized chamber to deliver high concentrations of pressurized oxygen (up to 100%) to patients. Utilizing the principles of basic physics, oxygen is delivered to compromised tissues despite minimal or even lack of, blood flow. Under pressure, oxygen enters the blood more readily allowing it to become dissolved in the plasma and transports it to tissues.
In human medicine, HBOT has been utilized and demonstrated to have varying effectiveness in treating a variety of conditions. Adapting these principles to veterinary medicine is exciting and practical.

How is HBOT applied to the patient?

The patient is placed in a specialized chamber and the pressure surrounding the patient is increased by allowing the oxygen to flow into the sealed chamber.

What is the goal of hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

The goal of HBOT is to increase the amount of oxygen that is delivered to diseased and damaged tissues to help them heal. As the concentration of oxygen is increased in the blood and plasma to very high levels, we also increase the distance it diffuses in the tissues.

Are there risks associated with HBOT?

As with any drug/medication, there is the potential for rare side effects to occur during a HBO
treatment. For example, patients may experience oxygen toxicity or barotrauma. However, the
incidence of these effects is minimized by proper dosing, frequency, duration of pressure, and oxygen,
and proper compression and decompression procedures. All patients are also closely monitored by a
specially trained and skilled veterinary staff member throughout their HBO session.

What are the indications of HBOT?

There are many indications for this therapy. In general, any condition or disease in which circulation to the diseased tissue has been compromised will benefit from this therapy. The list below is by no means complete, and as research continues, there will be more places for this therapy in veterinary medicine.

Indications for HBOT therapy include:
Wounds, thermal burns, compromised grafts and flaps, and envenomation Pulmonary hemorrhage
Cardiovascular hypotension, cardiac infarction, reperfusion syndrome, carbon monoxide toxicity, and smoke inhalation Infectious disease including: osteomyelitis, anaerobic infections, intracranial and abdominal abscesses
Sinusitis