Journal of Clinical Medicine · 7 authors, 3 centres
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This narrative review summarizes existing evidence on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for vision-threatening ophthalmic conditions including retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema, and acute optic neuropathy. The review concludes that the best body of evidence supports HBOT effectiveness in CRAO/BRAO, but acknowledges a paucity of high-quality randomized controlled trials.
This narrative review searched EMBASE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Ovid MEDLINE through 11 September 2023 for original studies, case reports, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on HBOT in ophthalmology. The authors present physiological rationale based on choroidal circulation, clinical aspects for patient selection, and case reports of successful HBOT implementation. The best evidence supports HBOT effectiveness in CRAO/BRAO, with some evidence suggesting it may be the only effective treatment modality for CRAO among those tested. Major limitations include predominance of case reports and observational studies, small sample sizes, lack of standardized HBOT protocols, subjective outcome measures, and the absence of age- and sex-matched controls. The authors conclude HBOT is a safe, low-cost, and moderately effective option for ARAO and call for future randomized controlled trials.
