Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: what it is and how clinics abroad price it
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. Hospitals use it for a set list of conditions, and some clinics abroad also sell it as sessions or courses. This page describes how clinics publish the price and terms.
What does it involve?
The US FDA describes HBOT as breathing 100% oxygen in a special chamber. Clinics describe their offer by the chamber and the number of sessions:
- Single-person chamber — one patient lies in a closed, see-through chamber that is filled with oxygen.
- Multi-person chamber — several patients sit in a larger chamber and breathe oxygen through a mask or hood.
- Single session — one treatment at a stated pressure and length.
- Course of sessions — a set number of sessions, often on consecutive days.
Some clinics sell lower-pressure or "mild" chambers under the same name. The chamber type and the pressure are the main things to compare. HBOT is a different method from IHHT, which uses low-oxygen and oxygen-rich air at normal pressure.
How do clinics price it?
The catalogue has no price scopes for HBOT yet. Clinics usually publish prices in two units:
- Per session — one treatment in the chamber.
- Per course — a stated number of sessions sold together.
A published price usually includes the time in the chamber and staff supervision. Often charged extra: a first consultation and medical check before the first session, ear or chest examinations, tests, a wound assessment where relevant, and follow-up. Prices are only comparable within the same unit and for the same chamber type, pressure and session length.
What should I ask the clinic before paying?
- What type of chamber is used, at what pressure, and for how long is each session?
- Is the chamber cleared or certified as a medical device, and who makes it?
- Which named doctor assesses you before the first session, and who supervises the chamber? See how to check a doctor.
- Are the first consultation and any checks before treatment included in the price?
- What happens, and what is charged, if a session has to be stopped early or missed?
- For a course: how many sessions, and can unused sessions be refunded?
- How long is the written price valid?
What this page does not tell you
This page reports published prices and terms. It does not say whether HBOT suits you or works; that decision belongs with your own doctor. In the US, hyperbaric chambers are Class II medical devices cleared through the FDA 510(k) process, and the FDA notes a heightened risk of fire with high-concentration oxygen. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society publishes its list of accepted indications, such as decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning; clinics may also sell HBOT for uses outside that list.