Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical technique which delivers
oxygen at ambient pressures to increase the amount of dissolved
oxygen in the blood and
oxygen distribution to tissues. There are several beneficial properties of HBOT concomitant with elevated
oxygen distribution in tissue including anti-
inflammation, angiogenesis through
vascular endothelial growth factor proliferation, augmented fibroblast activity through
fibroblast growth factor proliferation, tissue and
wound repair, enhancement of lymphocyte and macrophage activity, increased male
testosterone secretion, and bactericidal activity. Given its renown in treating conditions such as
decompression sickness and
carbon monoxide poisoning, HBOT is making gradual strides for use in genitourinary medicine due to its low risk and likeliness to achieve favorable results. Early success has been observed in the treatment of
Fournier's gangrene, radiation
cystitis, and
interstitial cystitis via the elimination of clinical symptoms such as
pain. Further indications that have exhibited positive outcomes despite HBOT's ambiguous mechanism of action include
cyclophosphamide hemorrhagic cystitis, emphysematous
cystitis, pelvic radiation disease, radiation-induced proctopathy, dystrophic calcification of the prostate,
erectile dysfunction secondary to urethroplasty,
priapism, abnormal renal morphology, blood
testosterone, calcific uremic arteriolopathy, and
hidradenitis suppurativa. For other indications, multicenter studies must be conducted to determine HBOT's true efficacy, mechanism of action, risks, and advantages over conventional treatments.