Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a Monitoring Technique for Digital Replantation Survival

ABSTRACT

There have been few clinical reports of successful replantation assisted with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. In order to improve replant survival, the author has used HBO in ten digital replantations of crush, avulsion, and degloving amputations. Seven of ten replants survived and the other three failed. The failed three digits demonstrated remarkable color changes during HBO therapy. No color changes were observed in six of the seven surviving digits under HBO. The remaining digit showed a slight color difference between pre- and post-therapy. It appears that hyperbaric oxygen is potentially effective in distinguishing “uneventful” replants in which color does not change during HBO therapy, while hyperbaric oxygen could not salvage those “congestion to necrosis” replants in which the color became bright vermilion under hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The difference in digital color reaction to hyperbaric oxygen may be helpful in early decisions to employ salvaging procedures.