Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Surgical Recovery

HBOT has a long history in complex wound care and is increasingly used after elective surgery to support healing, inflammation and tissue repair. At NUMA, HBOT is medically prescribed and tailored to each patient.

Surgical team in blue scrubs and protective masks performing a procedure in an operating theatre under bright surgical lights.

What is Surgical Recovery

Surgical recovery is the body’s process of healing and repair after an operation. It involves managing inflammation and swelling, repairing tissue and supporting regeneration, influenced by the type of surgery and one’s overall health.

How HBOT may support Surgical Recovery?

HBOT across every stage of recovery

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that HBOT may support post-operative recovery in aesthetic surgery, with findings including reduced healing times and improved patient satisfaction.

Mortada et al. · 2025 · Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Complex or delayed healing

HBOT has an established role in selected compromised tissues and wounds, including compromised grafts and flaps, with treatment determined according to clinical need.

Simman & Bach · 2022 · Eplasty

HBOT is used alongside, not as a substitute for, standard medical care and post-surgical rehabilitation. Suitability is assessed individually, and outcomes may vary.

HBOT in Aesthetic Surgery: What the Evidence Shows

A clinical review of the evidence for HBOT in aesthetic surgical recovery, including post-operative healing, complications and patient-reported outcomes, alongside the current limitations of the research.

Dr Nur Ozyilmaz

Patient Pathway

Every HBOT programme begins with an individual medical assessment. For post-surgical recovery, treatment is prescribed according to the procedure, stage of recovery, clinical presentation and treatment goals, with the protocol tailored to each patient and, where appropriate, aligned with the advice of their surgical team.

Early post-operative recovery

Typically 5–10 sessions

For uncomplicated recovery, with treatment tailored to the procedure and individual clinical needs.

Comprehensive recovery

Typically 10–20 sessions

A longer programme may be considered where the focus extends to ongoing tissue repair, angiogenesis and collagen production.

Complex or delayed healing

Individualised treatment course

For delayed healing, tissue ischaemia, compromised grafts or flaps, and other complex post-surgical presentations. Duration is guided by clinical progress.

Every treatment plan is personalised. The number, frequency and timing of HBOT sessions vary according to individual clinical circumstances and may change as treatment progresses.

Dr Nur speaking with a patient during a medical consultation at NUMA

Choosing Safe, Consultant-Led HBOT for Surgical Recovery

HBOT is a medical treatment that requires specialist assessment and prescription to ensure it is safe, appropriate and tailored to individual clinical needs. For post-surgical recovery, treatment is provided alongside standard surgical care and, where appropriate, in consultation with the patient’s surgical team. A consultation with our specialist medical doctor includes:

  • Review of the surgical procedure, medical history and stage of recovery
  • HBOT suitability and an individualised treatment prescription
  • Discussion of the evidence, potential benefits and limitations
  • Consideration of the surgeon’s advice and wider recovery plan, where appropriate
  • Ongoing medical supervision and treatment review
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Patient experiences

Don't just take our word for it — hear directly from patients who have completed treatment with us.

Review 1 of 4
Surgical Recovery

On the advice of my surgeon, after Mohs surgery with complex reconstruction in the eye area and the risk of complications, I visited Numa clinic in the hope that hyperbaric oxygen therapy procedures would help. For me, this was an extremely difficult and difficult moment, but with you I met boundless patience, understanding and warm attitude. We did 15 sessions, and the procedures did not just help – they worked a miracle and successfully saved the surgical tissue flap, thanks to which we avoided additional complex operations!

I will never forget the extraordinary gesture of the team that opened the clinic on Sunday – their day off – especially for me, in order to start the treatment on time, because in my case every minute mattered.

This dedication is rare nowadays. Thank you for your golden hands, for your care and for giving me back my health! Be blessed

Individual experiences vary and testimonials should not be taken as evidence of treatment outcomes.

Related reading on surgical recovery

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Learn more about NUMA's clinical approach to HBOT

NUMA is a consultant-led specialist HBOT clinic focused exclusively on medical hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our service combines medical oversight, personalised treatment planning and purpose-built facilities designed to support safe and high-standard care.

25+ Years
Medical Experience
Specialist
HBOT Clinic
Exclusively
HBOT
CQC Registered
UHMS Member
8 Chambers
Up to 2.0 ATA
Consultant-Led
Care
A patient undergoing a hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessionA hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber room