Founded by Daniel Gericke, who has extensive experience in hyperbaric oxygen medicine treatment and the management of hyperbaric medicine units, the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, opened in November 2005. This followed after the successful launch of the country’s first commercially viable clinical multi-place hyperbaric facility, situated at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban.
The medical team at Milpark Hyperbaric Medicine Centre comprises Riedwaan Dass (unit manager and clinical hyperbaric technician), administrative assistant Lynne Warder and Dr Mark Botha is the Medical Director of Milpark Hyperbaric Chamber Unit.
As defined by the UHMS (Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society) and SAUHMA (South African Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association):
Hyperbaric therapy is a treatment administered by delivering 100% oxygen at an increased ambient pressure (i.e. increased atmospheric pressure) for its medicinal effects. It is proven to be an effective treatment of choice in some indications and an adjunctive treatment for others.
The hyperbaric chamber is a room or unit that can be made of steel, aluminium, clear plastic or acrylic, and can be recompressed to a pressure greater than 1.4 ATA(< 4 meters of seawater).
There are two types of hyperbaric oxygen chambers:
Monoplace: Accommodates one patient at a time (used at Milpark Hyperbaric Medicine Centre)
Multiplace: May accommodate between 2-10 patients at a time, consisting usually of patients and a chamber supervisor (who may be a doctor, a nurse or other medically trained staff operator).
§ At increased pressure, oxygen dissolves into the plasma of the blood, resulting in increased delivery of oxygen to the tissues.
§ Increases white blood cell activity at the wood site, this boosts your body's own immunity to fight the infection in the wound.
§ Reduces oedema (swelling) by vasoconstriction (blood vessels constrict)
§ Granulation (growth of new blood vessels) and angiogenesis (growth of nerve endings) occur in the damaged areas of the body
§ Alters pressure gradients in wound edges, encouraging the wound to heal and get smaller.
§ Production and mobilization of human Stem Cell's @ 1.9 ATA and more(< 9 meters of seawater)
Conditions approved by and accepted internationally by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society:
§ Air or Gas Embolism
§ Carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning
§ Compartment syndrome or Acute peripheral ischemia (e.g. Crush injuries)
§ Compromised Skin flaps or Grafts
§ Decompression Illness ("The Bends")
§ Exceptional blood loss anaemia (in people who cannot receive blood transfusions due to religious reasons such as Jehovah's Witnesses, or those that cannot be cross-matched in time)
§ Gas gangrene (Clostridial myositis or myonecrosis) - Should be treated as soon as possible
§ Necrotising soft tissue infections (such as necrotising fasciitis/ flesh eating disease)
§ Problem wounds (diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, decubitus ulcers, etc.)
§ Radiation necrosis (osteonecrosis, proctitis, etc.)
§ Refractory osteomyelitis (Chronic bone infections)
§ Thermal burns( hands and face/difficult to graft areas)
§ Intracranial abscess
§ Idiopathic Sensorineual Sudden Hearing Loss
§ Retinal Artery Occlusion
Milpark Hyperbaric Foundation
Milpark Hyperbaric Medicine Centre has a policy of treating deserving patients regardless of their ability to pay for treatment. Most patients are from the public hospital sector since hyperbaric facilities are not available in any of the State hospitals in the Greater Johannesburg area. The purpose of the Milpark Hyperbaric Foundation is to raise funds to enable the team to continue to treat deserving patients who would otherwise not have access to hyperbaric treatment. If you would like to find out more about supporting this worthy cause, please contact us.
