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Hill Country Wound Care And Hyperbarics

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation Proctitis: A Healing Path for Cancer Survivors in San Antonio

If you’re dealing with rectal bleeding, pain, urgency, or bowel changes after cancer treatment, especially radiation to the pelvis, you’re not alone.

 

Radiation proctitis can develop weeks, months, or even years after radiation therapy for cancers such as:

Prostate

Cervical

Uterine

Bladder

Colorectal

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While radiation successfully targets cancer, it can also injure surrounding soft tissue, especially the sensitive lining of the rectum and lower colon. This damage, often called radiation proctitis or soft tissue radiation injury, can disrupt your quality of life and leave you with symptoms that feel frustrating or even alarming.

 

At Hill Country Wound Care & Hyperbarics, we offer advanced, physician-led treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), a powerful solution that helps heal radiation-damaged tissue and provides real, lasting relief.

What Is Radiation Proctitis?

Radiation proctitis is inflammation and injury to the rectum caused by radiation therapy, particularly for cancers located in the pelvic region. While some patients develop symptoms shortly after completing radiation (acute proctitis), others may not experience issues until months or even decades later, a condition known as chronic radiation proctitis.

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Common Symptoms of Chronic Radiation Proctitis:

  • Rectal bleeding (often painless but persistent)

  • Urgency or frequency of bowel movements

  • Pain or burning during defecation

  • Mucous discharge or loose stools

  • Difficulty with normal rectal function

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These symptoms can range from mild to severe, and when left untreated, can worsen over time.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on soft tissue radiation injury: proctitis

Why Radiation Damages the Rectum

Radiation therapy is designed to kill cancer cells, but it can also damage small blood vessels and healthy tissues nearby. Over time, this results in:

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  • Reduced blood flow

  • Tissue hypoxia (lack of oxygen)

  • Scarring and fibrosis

  • Poor healing capacity

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When blood vessels shrink and scar over, they can’t deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to help the damaged tissue recover. This is why traditional treatments, such as creams, steroids, or dietary changes, often fail to resolve symptoms in the long term.

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Helps Radiation Proctitis Heal

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works by delivering 100% pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, allowing your lungs to absorb dramatically more oxygen, up to 10 to 15 times more than normal air.

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This oxygen-rich blood reaches even damaged, poorly perfused tissue, like the rectum and colon injured by radiation, and stimulates cell repair and new blood vessel growth.

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Radiation proctitis isn’t just surface-level damage. It’s a wound deep inside your body that requires a unique, specialized approach. That’s exactly what HBOT provides. By delivering oxygen at a cellular level, hyperbaric therapy works from the inside out to restore damaged tissue, promote healing, and alleviate symptoms that other treatments may not fully resolve.

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Proven Benefits of HBOT for Radiation Proctitis:

✅ Stimulates angiogenesis – New blood vessels form in areas of poor circulation
✅ Reduces inflammation and fibrosis – Less scarring, better long-term function
✅ Improves tissue oxygenation – Speeds healing in oxygen-starved areas
✅ Decreases rectal bleeding – Fewer disruptions, less anxiety
✅ Improves bowel function – Less urgency and discomfort
✅ Enhances immune response – Lowers risk of infection or chronic wounds

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Studies show HBOT significantly improves symptoms in up to 85–90% of patients with chronic radiation proctitis, especially when treatment is started early.

What to Expect From HBOT at Hill Country

At Hill Country Wound Care & Hyperbarics, our San Antonio-based clinics provide HBOT in a calm, outpatient setting. Each session is overseen by a board-certified provider and administered by highly trained hyperbaric technicians.

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Your Treatment Journey:

1. Consultation & Evaluation: We work closely with your referring gastroenterologist, oncologist, or primary care physician to confirm your diagnosis and build a tailored HBOT plan.

2. Treatment Sessions: You’ll typically receive 40 daily treatments, lasting about 90–120 minutes each. Sessions occur Monday through Thursday, with adjustments based on how your tissue responds.

3. Re-Evaluation: After 40 sessions, we reassess your symptoms and collaborate with your specialists to determine if additional sessions are needed.

4. Follow-Up Support: We provide guidance on post-treatment bowel health, symptom tracking, and coordination with your care team.

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Our patients are treated in Perry clear acrylic monoplace chambers, the most spacious and transparent on the market, for comfort, visibility, and safety.

Why Choose Hill Country for Radiation Proctitis Care?

We’re more than a wound care clinic: we’re a partner in your healing. With three convenient San Antonio locations (Live Oak, Bulverde, Southwest), we deliver hospital-level care in a comfortable outpatient setting.

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What Sets Us Apart:

  • Physician-led evaluations at every visit

  • Largest outpatient HBOT network in San Antonio

  • Insurance coordination and support

  • Patient-first scheduling with easy parking and short wait times

  • Experience with complex post-radiation healing

 

You’ve already overcome cancer. Don’t let lingering symptoms define what comes next. We’re here to help you heal the damage radiation left behind.

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Take the Next Step Toward Healing

If you or someone you love is struggling with the symptoms of radiation proctitis, don’t wait. Early intervention with HBOT can reduce bleeding, improve quality of life, and help you move forward confidently.

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We offer same-week appointments at:

📍 Live Oak 📍 SW San Antonio 📍 Bulverde

Frequently Asked Questions

If you or a loved one is dealing with painful symptoms after pelvic radiation, like bleeding, rectal discomfort, or non-healing inflammation, you’re not alone. Radiation proctitis is a serious but treatable complication, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of the most effective tools we have to help the body heal from this kind of injury. Below, our Hill Country Wound Care team answers the most common questions patients have about HBOT for radiation proctitis, from how it works to what you can expect during treatment. Our goal is to provide clarity, comfort, and the confidence to take your next step toward healing.

  • Radiation proctitis is inflammation and tissue injury in the rectum caused by radiation therapy, usually for pelvic cancers. Symptoms can begin weeks after treatment or even years later. Chronic cases may persist without proper treatment and require specialized care like hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

  • Yes. HBOT is clinically proven to improve healing in radiation-damaged tissue by delivering high levels of oxygen to areas with poor blood flow. This stimulates new blood vessel growth, reduces bleeding, and promotes tissue repair, especially in chronic radiation proctitis.

  • Most patients undergo 40-60 sessions of HBOT. Depending on the severity of symptoms and response, additional sessions may be necessary to achieve the optimal level of healing. Treatments are typically done once per day, five days a week.

  • HBOT is non-invasive and well-tolerated. You may experience mild pressure in your ears during the pressurization phase, similar to the sensation during airplane takeoff. Our Hill Country team helps you equalize pressure and ensures your comfort throughout each session.

  • HBOT complements other treatments, rather than replacing them. In some cases, medications or minor procedures (such as cauterization or endoscopic evaluation) may still be needed. HBOT enhances the effectiveness of these treatments by improving tissue oxygenation and immune response.

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