This article is part of the HBOT Radar series, where we summarize the latest published hyperbaric oxygen therapy research.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It summarizes published medical research conducted in clinical settings and does not evaluate Brain Spa Hyperbaric products. The hyperbaric chambers offered on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Do not make medical decisions based on this article — consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Title:
Real-world data from the Mayo Clinic shows HBOT may ease symptoms in severe perianal Crohn’s disease — but long-term healing remains challenging
What this study looked at
Perianal Crohn’s disease is one of the most difficult forms of Crohn’s to treat.
When inflammation affects the anal region, painful fistulas and abscesses can develop. These can be extremely resistant to medication and often require repeated surgeries.
This study reviewed the medical records of six patients treated at the Mayo Clinic between 2014 and 2023 who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy as part of their management for refractory (treatment-resistant) perianal Crohn’s disease.
The goal was to see whether HBOT helped:
- reduce symptoms
- improve the appearance of fistulas on exam or imaging
- decrease the need for surgery
- change disease progression
HBOT protocol in this study
Patients received between 10 and 40 sessions of HBOT. The publication does not report chamber pressure, so the dose these patients received is unknown.
Patients were also on standard Crohn’s treatments, including:
- immunosuppressive medications
- biologic therapies
- and in four cases, fecal diversion with either ileostomy or colostomy
Two patients had previously undergone total proctocolectomy with ileal-anal pouch creation.
These patients were treated at a hospital hyperbaric unit under medical supervision, alongside biologic and immunosuppressive therapy. Results from clinical research cannot be directly applied to other settings or devices — always consult a healthcare professional.
Key findings
Symptomatic improvement in most patients
Four out of six patients reported less pain, less drainage and overall better comfort after HBOT.
Objective healing was limited
Only one patient showed measurable improvement on examination or imaging.
Disease progression continued for most
Apart from one individual, all patients eventually needed surgery within the following year, despite HBOT.
Important detail
These patients had very severe and long-standing disease, often after many failed therapies.
This represents the most difficult Crohn’s population — the ones who typically have no remaining medical options.
How to interpret this study
Six patients, reviewed retrospectively from their medical records, with no control group. Here is what it can and cannot support:
- Four of the six reported feeling better. In an uncontrolled retrospective review of patients also receiving biologics, immunosuppressants and in four cases surgical diversion, what produced that is unknowable.
- Reported improvements were in pain, drainage and comfort — all subjective, all unblinded.
- But for patients with advanced, structurally complicated disease, HBOT alone is not enough to prevent progression.
The authors emphasize that HBOT could serve as a supportive therapy but should not be expected to replace surgery or biologic therapy in severe cases.
Why this matters for the HBOT community
Many people ask whether HBOT can help inflammatory bowel disease — especially perianal disease, because oxygen is so central to tissue healing.
This study suggests:
- HBOT can provide symptomatic relief.
- It may help reduce local inflammation in the perianal tissues.
- But structural fistulas and deep tracts are difficult to reverse, regardless of therapy type.
No adverse effects were reported. With six patients, that says little about safety either way.
Takeaway for the community
The honest summary of this study is that it was largely negative. One patient in six showed objective improvement. Five needed surgery within the year. Four reported feeling better, which matters to those four, but subjective improvement in an unblinded series of six is the weakest form of evidence there is.
What this series adds is a realistic picture of what happened to six people with the most treatment-resistant form of the disease. That is worth publishing precisely because it is not an encouraging result.
HBOT Radar will continue to highlight new studies on inflammatory bowel disease and healing of difficult wounds as they are published.
Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41095923/
Educational disclaimer
This content summarizes findings from published medical research for educational purposes only.
The hyperbaric chambers sold on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The studies discussed here were conducted in clinical medical settings using medical-grade interventions. The inclusion of research summaries does not imply that similar outcomes can be achieved using non-medical wellness devices.
