Essentia Health Fargo provides unique hyperbaric oxygen therapy

"It is unique, I will tell you that."

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Essentia Health is the first hospital in region to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“It is unique, I will tell you that. You know, so we have two places here in the state of North Dakota that have the hyperbaric chambers. This is going to be the first time you are going to have a place in the state, and pretty much the region, that has a hospital based practice,” Essentia Health Physician Dr. Olayinka Ajayi said.

Essentia Health is home to two hyperbaric chambers designed to deliver patients high doses of oxygen.

“It is a device that helps give patients, selected patients, 100 percent oxygen in a pressurized environment. They are so powerful in delivering the care that the patients need,” Dr. Ajayi added.

Currently, Essentia Health-Fargo uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat 14 conditions approved by the FDA.

“For example, carbon monoxide poisoning, you can use this and see a patient who had carbon monoxide poison and is having brain damage. Bring them to this chamber and it will help the brain heal. Another example is diabetic foot ulcers, patients that have diabetes have wounds in their foot. We bring them here and we combine treatments and other things and that is how they do better and heal,” Dr. Ajayi xplained

Several area patients are utilizing the hospital’s chambers. Dr. Ajayi says individual treatments typically last between one to two hours.

“We have had over 40 consults. Every single patient, depending on the diagnosis, usually has anywhere from 30 treatments. Some may have less and some may have more. If you multiply 40 by 25, that tells you we have done like over or at least 250 treatments or more,” Dr. Ajayi said.

The hospital received its first chamber in July and a second one in October.