Manjulatha Badam, MD, CWSP, UHM: Hyperbaric Medicine Specialist San Antonio, TX: Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic and Hyperbarics

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about wound care

When should I look for a wound doctor?

If you have any concerns about the severity of the injury, consult your doctor immediately. Some indications showing severity may include, but are not limited to:
  • Pus, cloudy, bloody or creamy discharge.
  • Irritation or redness around the wound.
  • Fever
  • The wound has not healed in 10 to 15 days.
  • No tetanus vaccine in the last 5 years with a deep wound
  • Numbness
  • Increased swelling and pain within 48 hours of injury onset.

What problems can occur if a wound is left untreated?

If a wound is left untreated, it can lead to dangerous infections, gangrene and, in the worst case, amputation. These infections can also cause sepsis and death.

What is an acute wound?

An acute wound is nothing more than a skin injury that has occurred quickly. It follows an expected healing rate and can be caused by contact with rough or sharp surfaces that damage the skin or underlying tissue. Acute wounds can include lacerations, abrasions, incisions, burns, and even puncture wounds.

What is a chronic wound?

Any acute wound can have the possibility of becoming a chronic wound. When there is no significant improvement in healing in approximately 2 to 3 weeks, the wound has likely entered the chronic stage and requires serious medical attention. Increased exposure to bacteria, pressure on the affected area, or even lack of blood supply can cause chronic wounds. Incorrect treatment or poorly performed procedures can also stop the healing process. VAYU Wound Clinic & Hyperbarics has trusted professionals who make sure your wound is healed and ready for you to return to your normal life.

What procedures are offered at Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic & Hyperbarics?

Our clinic offers all diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures necessary to diagnose, treat and manage chronic wounds.

Dr.Badam brings 15 years of clinical and procedural experience. The list includes, but is not limited to, the following when medically necessary.

  • Comprehensive wound assessments, including Smart ABI
  • Wound debridements
  • Drainage of abscesses (I and D)
  • Chemical cautery
  • Tissue cultures and tissue biopsy.
  • Full Contact Casting/Casting Discharge
  • Negative pressure wound therapy
  • Cellular tissue-based wound products
  • Split skin graft
  • Advanced wound healing products appropriate for your wounds.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)

What is HBOT?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also commonly known as HBOT, is a painless therapy that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. HBOT can be used as an established treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

Is HBOT right for you?

In an HBOT chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. When your body is in these circumstances, your lungs accumulate tons more oxygen compared to breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly increases the amount of oxygen carried by the blood. The temporary high-oxygen environment your body is in encourages normal tissue oxygen levels even after therapy is completed.

The benefits

  • Decreased swelling and inflammation.
  • Promotes the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis)
  • Higher cure rate
  • Increases the ability to fight infections.
  • Promotes the growth of stem cells, allowing the body to quickly replace damaged cells.

Indications

There are currently 14 conditions that are approved for treatment by UHMS/CMS. These approved conditions include:
  • intracranial abscess
  • Necrotizing soft tissue infections.
  • Osteomyelitis (refractory)/chronic diabetic wounds
  • Delayed radiation injury (bone and soft tissue necrosis)
  • Compromised grafts and flaps
  • Acute thermal burn injury
  • Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss
  • Air or gas embolism
  • Arterial insufficiencies (such as central retinal artery occlusion)
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Clostridial myositis and myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
  • Crush injuries, compartment syndrome, and other acute traumatic ischemias
  • Decompression sickness
  • Severe anemia

HBOT: frequently asked questions

Click the link below to schedule an appointment today. Schedule Appointment

Dr. Badam will create a treatment plan based on your medical conditions. Most diagnosed conditions require a range of between 10 and 40 treatments, and may be more depending on the severity of the case. A treatment session usually lasts between 90 and 110 minutes and is administered once a day, 5 days a week.
Yes, you will be able to eat and take your medications. Depending on his medical conditions, Dr. Badam will discuss it in detail during your consultation.
The hyperbaric technician will have full control over the chamber and will be able to stop a session at any time if necessary.
Perfumes, lotions, hair products, nail polishes, headphones, cell phones, perfumes/cologne and any combustible items are prohibited when entering for treatment. Wear 100% cotton underwear. We will talk more in depth during the consultation and provide you with reading material.
We will provide you with comfortable cotton clothing to wear during therapy. Before treatment, we strongly recommend showering, drying yourself and directly putting on the clothing provided.
It may seem similar to taking off and landing an airplane. Periods of compression can cause slight pressure in the ears. Additionally, there may be warm air at the beginning of the treatment and cooler air at the end.
Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic & Hyperbarics is equipped with state-of-the-art cameras. The cameras feature video entertainment systems to watch any show or movie you prefer. Listening to music, taking a nap, or just relaxing are other common things to do.
Complication rates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy are extremely low. Potentially serious effects include, but are not limited to: trauma to the middle ear, eyes, lungs, brain, and claustrophobia.
It is not necessary, HBOT is a non-invasive treatment that does not use sedatives or other altering medications. Anyone can drive themselves to and from treatment, unless they are unable to do so.
The hyperbaric technicians at Vayu advanced Wound Clinic & Hyperbarics are certified hyperbaric technicians with years of clinical experience. It is mandatory for hyperbaric technicians to work under the supervision of Dr. Badam at all times.
The camera includes a transparent tube that allows the patient to see their surroundings. Most patients, however, have no problems, especially after becoming accustomed to their surroundings after several treatment sessions.

There are quite a few conditions where multiple studies have shown that HBOT significantly improves their severity.

The following medical conditions have not been approved by the FDA and most of these unauthorized conditions are not covered by insurance. Self-payment will be provided for these treatments.

  • fibromyalgia
  • Crohn’s disease 
  • Long Hauler syndrome 
  • Mild traumatic brain injury 
  • Lyme’s desease 
  • Complex regional pain
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder 
  • Migraines 
  • Vertigo 
  • Anti-aging, health and well-being 
  • Autoimmune diseases/unwanted inflammations 
  • Dolor de espalda 
  • Burns 
  • Chronic fatigue disease 
  • Chronic infections 
  • Cosmetic complications 
  • Cytokine storm 
  • Delayed wound healing 
  • Dementia/Cognitive Impairment 
  • Depression 
  • Detox and wellness 
  • Erectile dysfunctions 
  • GIVE 
  • Muscular dystrophy 
  • Multiple sclerosis 
  • Neuropathy 
  • Conditioning before and after surgery 
  • Soriasis 
  • Radiation necrosis 
  • reflex sympathetic dystrophy 
  • spinal cord injury 
  • Post-surgical inflammation 
  • Attack 
  • After a coronary stent 
  • Ulcerative colitis 
  • Radiation proctitis
HBOT has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat non-healing wounds and a variety of other medical conditions. There is an extremely low risk (<1%) of serious side effects as treatment at Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic & Hyperbarics is performed by a licensed hyperbaric technician and directly supervised by Dr. Badam.

frequently asked questions

Access to our Portal and the healow app are completely free. We share this information with our patients to give them access to their health records and help them make better healthcare decisions.
Yes, the information is completely secure. It is protected with a username and password / PIN number of your choice and through SSL encryption.
We share information with our patients that we feel can help them and keep them informed. Every practice is different, and we try to provide patients with key information regarding their health. For a complete list of features, ask our friendly staff.
Sign-up is simple and outlined in the steps above. You should receive a username and password from our practice via email that you can print out and customize after your initial login. Access can be made via any web browser, or through the smartphone app.
The app and our Portal allow you to reset your username and/or password. You can also call the front desk and we can reset the username and/or password for you.
User support is built into the web portal and the app, or you can ask a member of our staff.
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  • Mon - Fri : 8.00 A.M - 5.00 P.M
  • Sat - Sun : Closed

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