Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen on survival of random pattern skin flap in diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to determine if hyperbaric oxygen improved random pattern skin flap survival in diabetic rats.

METHODS

Cranially-based, 4 x 10 cm dorsal skin flaps were raised in 38 diabetic rats induced by streptozocin (STZ). The animals were randomly divided equally into two groups. Group A was a control group observed in the room air and Group B was the experimental group, which received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy. The HBO2 regimen consisted of 90 minutes of treatment with 100% O2 at 2.5 ATA (atmosphere absolute ATA) per day for 7 consecutive days. On the 7th postoperative day, we measured the necrotic flap area and the new growth number of capillary vessel and the granulation tissue thickness.

RESULTS

The percentage of necrosis flap area for group A was 50.5 +/- 10.5%; for group B it was 38.5 +/- 9.3%. The reduction in necrosis flap area was highly significant (p < 0.01) compared with controls. Also, new-growth capillary vessel and granulation tissue thickness were statistically different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study demonstrated beneficial effects of HBO2 in improving diabetic rat dorsal skin flap survival.