Hyperbaric care · Scottsdale & Glendale, AZ
When gas bubbles interrupt circulation and injure tissue, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can play a decisive role in treatment and recovery.
Decompression sickness and serious arterial gas embolism are established indications for HBOT. Recompression and oxygen address the bubbles themselves while supporting oxygen delivery to affected tissues.3, 4
After emergency evaluation and stabilization, RX-O2 offers a place to review your history, discuss persistent symptoms, and explore whether additional prescribed hyperbaric care belongs in your recovery plan.
Online appointments are for medically stable patients and planned care. Emergency recompression requires a facility equipped for your condition.
Two related conditions, one important treatment
Decompression illness is an umbrella term that includes decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism related to diving. Gas embolism can also occur during medical procedures.3, 4, 16
As pressure falls after a dive or other compressed-air exposure, dissolved inert gas can form bubbles in tissues and blood. Symptoms may involve joints, skin, the spinal cord, the inner ear, or other organs. DCS can occur even after a dive that appeared to follow accepted limits.3, 16
Gas entering arteries can interrupt blood flow to the brain or other vital organs. During diving, this can follow lung overexpansion on ascent. Procedure-related gas embolism has other routes of entry and requires immediate involvement of the treating emergency or hospital team.4
Not every small venous air bubble has the same significance. A medical team must determine the type of embolism, its effects, and the appropriate treatment.4
Why pressure and oxygen matter
Increased ambient pressure makes gas bubbles smaller, helping address the obstruction and tissue effects that drive these injuries.3, 4
Breathing oxygen under pressure helps remove inert gas from the body and supports the resolution of decompression-related bubbles.3
HBOT increases oxygen dissolved in plasma, helping supply tissues whose circulation has been impaired. That is particularly important when the nervous system is involved.3, 4
Treatment is prescribed to match the diagnosis, severity, response, and monitoring needs. A routine wellness session or standard package duration should never be substituted for an emergency recompression protocol.
The evidence behind treatment
Clinical recommendations recognize HBOT as a central treatment for decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism. Cohort studies help explain recovery, timing, and the needs of patients with continuing symptoms.3, 4
Literature checked
September 14, 2026
Decompression illness · 2024
93% had no or minor residual symptoms
Blake and colleagues · Retrospective hospital cohort
Among 306 divers treated in Townsville, Australia, 93% had a “good outcome,” defined as no symptoms or only minor symptoms remaining. Initial severity was an important influence on recovery.6
What this means: There is a strong clinical reason to pursue appropriate treatment. The figure includes minor residual symptoms and is not a 93% complete-cure rate. Most divers initially had mild illness, and there was no untreated comparison group.
Read the 2024 studyCerebral arterial gas embolism · 2023
Fakkert and colleagues · Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis
A review of 10 observational studies involving 263 patients with procedure-related cerebral arterial gas embolism found that patients with favorable outcomes received HBOT sooner. An individual patient analysis also linked shorter delays with better outcomes after adjustment for severity.5
What this means: Early coordination with an appropriate hyperbaric service matters. The findings support urgency; they do not establish a safe waiting period or guarantee a particular result.
Read the 2023 analysisDelayed decompression treatment · 2022
Sokolowski and colleagues · 546-patient retrospective cohort
A Finnish study found that patients treated more than 48 hours after decompression illness could still have favorable outcomes. Final outcomes were similar across its timing groups, while shorter delays were associated with fewer recompression treatments.7
What this means: If symptoms were missed or access was difficult, seek expert assessment rather than assuming nothing can be done. Differences between patients limit comparisons, and the study does not show that waiting is safe. Its findings do not establish benefit for symptoms persisting months or years later.
Read the 2022 studyA systematic review brought together 24 reports involving 539 cases treated with HBOT. Persistent hearing or balance abnormalities were common, including abnormalities detected by testing when symptoms were less apparent. The findings support careful follow-up, objective testing, and rehabilitation when indicated.9
This review describes treated cases; it does not provide a controlled estimate of HBOT’s effect. New dizziness or hearing changes after diving still require urgent medical assessment.
Read the 2026 systematic reviewA French study of 124 technical-diving accidents found that decompression sickness accounted for most cases. Musculoskeletal and inner-ear injuries featured prominently among unfavorable outcomes. The study reinforces the value of reassessing persistent joint, hearing, or balance problems instead of assuming recovery is complete.11
This was an injury cohort, not a trial comparing HBOT with no treatment.
Read the June 2026 studyThese clinical recommendations describe HBOT as definitive treatment for decompression sickness and a central treatment for arterial gas embolism. They explain diagnosis, oxygen first aid, and the importance of matching hyperbaric treatment to the clinical situation.3, 4
Decompression sickness recommendations · Air and gas embolism recommendations
A prospective cohort followed 22 patients after HBOT for cerebral air embolism. Recovery varied, and ongoing disability and quality-of-life concerns remained important for some survivors. The study supports continued attention to rehabilitation and daily function after the emergency phase.12
There was no untreated comparison group. Follow-up needs do not automatically mean that additional HBOT will help every patient.
Read the prospective follow-up studyIn an analysis of 195 divers with spinal cord DCS, initial severity and longer time to recompression were associated with incomplete recovery, with the timing relationship most apparent in severe cases. This reinforces early emergency action when weakness, altered sensation, or walking difficulties appear.10
Read the spinal DCS studyA retrospective comparison included 76 divers treated at least 48 hours after DCS and 128 treated earlier. Complete and partial recoveries occurred in the delayed group, supporting assessment even after a missed early opportunity.8
This is not evidence that postponing treatment is equivalent to prompt care, nor proof that long-standing symptoms will respond.
Read the delayed-recompression studyThese studies complement established treatment recommendations. Outcomes depend on injury type, initial severity, time to appropriate care, and other medical factors. Newer papers are useful when their design and patient population match the question being asked.
See the newest PubMed publications on HBOT, DCS, and gas embolism
After emergency treatment
Persistent numbness, fatigue, joint discomfort, hearing changes, balance problems, or limitations in daily activities deserve attention. The next step is understanding what remains, what may improve with rehabilitation, and whether additional prescribed HBOT is appropriate.
At RX-O2, a consultation can bring your treatment history and current goals together. We can review your emergency records, clarify the role of hyperbaric care, and coordinate with the clinicians responsible for your recovery. A diving-medicine specialist may be needed for fitness-to-dive decisions.
Additional HBOT is an individual decision. Research on treatment delayed by hours or days should not be treated as proof of benefit for every chronic symptom. New or worsening neurological or breathing symptoms require urgent reassessment.7, 8, 12
You do not need all the answers before contacting us. Bring your questions, your current care plan, and what you hope to understand. A consultation can help you weigh potential benefits, uncertainty, practical needs, and costs before making a treatment decision.
The RX-O2 difference
Our Scottsdale and Glendale facilities combine medical oversight, trained technicians, and time to understand your recovery goals.
Medical Director Marvin A. Borsand leads clinical oversight. A licensed medical provider evaluates suitability and prescribes treatment when appropriate, with attention to your hospital course and ongoing specialist care.
Our prescription-level systems support medically selected treatment settings. Emergency diving-injury care requires case-specific protocols and capabilities; emergency services must confirm the receiving facility.
You breathe oxygen through a dedicated mask or hood while the chamber is pressurized with air. Staff monitor your treatment and communication needs.
Our technicians are certified through the National Hyperbaric Safety Association and trained in chamber operations, monitoring, and emergency procedures.
Inside RX-O2
Get familiar with our team’s approach and treatment environment before your consultation.
For medically stable patients
Include dive profiles or the procedure involved, symptom onset, oxygen first aid, hospital records, recompression reports, imaging, and discharge instructions.
Tell us about walking, work, concentration, hearing, balance, sleep, and pain. Bring your medication list and the names of the clinicians following your recovery.
A licensed provider assesses suitability, safety, goals, and whether HBOT is indicated. Ask about rehabilitation, specialist follow-up, treatment costs, and travel restrictions.
Planning your care
Medicare’s national HBOT coverage determination lists decompression illness and gas embolism. Coverage still depends on medical necessity, documentation, your health plan, and the treating facility’s billing arrangements.13
Ask RX-O2 about current payment options and whether your plan can reimburse care here. A covered diagnosis does not guarantee payment at every clinic, and follow-up symptoms do not automatically qualify for another course.
View RX-O2 pricing and packages for planned care. Emergency recompression should be arranged through emergency services, not purchased as a routine package.
Questions we can help you work through
No. Suspected DCS requires emergency assessment. Call emergency services, then DAN at +1 919-684-9111. Online RX-O2 appointments are for medically stable patients seeking planned consultation or follow-up.1, 2
Yes. Gas can enter circulation during some medical procedures or injuries. Sudden stroke-like symptoms, collapse, or breathing difficulty during or after a procedure require immediate emergency care and notification of the treating team. Clinicians determine whether HBOT is appropriate.4
No. Gas may no longer be visible when imaging is performed. The clinical history, symptoms, and examination are important, and the emergency team should not wait for visible bubbles to consider the diagnosis.4
Get individualized advice from the team managing your injury before altitude travel or another dive. Clearance after DCI differs from routine advice for symptom-free recreational divers. Feeling better does not by itself establish fitness to dive; hearing, balance, neurological, or lung assessment may be needed.1, 9, 16
Possible effects include ear or sinus pressure injury, temporary vision changes, and confinement anxiety. Oxygen-related seizures and lung injury are uncommon but important risks. Untreated pneumothorax is a contraindication. Staff review medications, lung and ear history, and chamber fire-safety requirements; unapproved electronics and battery-powered items are not brought into treatment.14, 15
For medically stable patients, a consultation can help assess whether additional prescribed HBOT is appropriate and what other follow-up may be useful. Bring your hospital and recompression records. The aim is a coordinated recovery plan, with realistic goals and the right specialists involved.
RX-O2 has locations in Scottsdale and Glendale, Arizona. Use the clinic links below for directions and contact details. If you are recovering from DCI, confirm travel restrictions with your treating team before planning a visit.
Local care, two Valley locations
Looking for a hyperbaric consultation near Phoenix? RX-O2 offers two locations for patients across the Valley. Call the clinic closest to you for appointment availability and help planning repeat visits.
An East Valley option for patients in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and nearby communities.
A West Valley option for patients in Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, and nearby communities.
Your next step after stabilization
Let’s review your history, understand what you want to regain, and discuss whether hyperbaric care can support your next steps.
New or worsening symptoms need emergency assessment. This booking link is for planned care.
This selected overview includes clinical recommendations, observational studies and reviews, and emergency, safety, and coverage guidance. Observational outcomes describe treated groups and cannot by themselves establish how much recovery was caused by HBOT.
Literature checked September 14, 2026. The PubMed link opens a current search; new publications require review before findings are added to this page. Educational information does not replace diagnosis, emergency care, or an individual treatment plan.
