Hallym University Medical Center has opened a hyperbaric oxygen treatment center to minimize the treatment period, complications, and aftereffects of burns and other wounds.

The hospital held an opening ceremony for the new facility on Wednesday.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment that inhales high-purity oxygen with a concentration of 100 percent at an air pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, efficiently delivering oxygen to the body to promote the recovery of damaged tissues and speed up regeneration and, helping the growth and the formation of new blood vessels.

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center at Hallym University Medical Center will apply the therapy to patients with burns and wounds, including those with traffic accident trauma, diabetic foot, and bedsores.

Shortening the treatment period reduces the chance of developing aftereffects, such as infection, pain, and complications. It helps to increase the engraftment rate after skin grafting. Health insurance will also cover hyperbaric oxygen treatment as part of burn treatment.

The new facility uses two state-of-the-art multi-person chambers developed by InterOcean. It can treat up to 25 people at a time. Unlike single-person chambers, medical staff can enter together, allowing internal and external medical staff to communicate and respond immediately in case of an emergency. In addition, patients can watch videos and listen to music in a free environment.

"Through hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we aim to reduce the treatment period of wound patients and improve mortality rates," said Dr. Heo Jun, hospital president and director of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center. "We will study the efficacy based on clinical data to create guidelines for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wound patients and raise the level of treatment."