Vinny’s HBOT Experience
Overcoming Central Retina Artery Occlusion with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Extivita, Reigniting His Passion for Painting
“The doctor had told me nothing’s going to change. What you see is what you get. But it started to dissipate, I did about 20 dives and did little drawings of what I could see each time I went into a dive and I could see more and more and more.”
Vinny experienced a sudden dark spot in his vision while walking into WalMart, which led him to consult an eye doctor. Upon examination at the Huntsville Retina Center, he was diagnosed with central retina artery occlusion, a condition that threatened to impair his vision permanently. Despite being told that his condition was irreversible, Vinny sought to explore alternative treatments and discovered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) at Extivita in Raleigh, NC. Determined to improve his sight, Vinny, residing in Utah, worked remotely for weeks to accommodate his HBOT treatment schedule at Extivita. He completed 20 dives, with each session marking a step towards visual improvement.
Central Retina Artery Occlusion
Vinny was diagnosed with Central Retina Artery Occlusion, a condition that significantly impaired his vision, causing a dark spot in the center of his right eye’s vision field, blurriness, and loss of color perception. This condition also severely affected his depth perception, making it difficult for him to gauge distances, which was particularly noticeable while driving.
Vision Restoration
HBOT played a crucial role in enhancing Vinny’s ocular health. With each dive, he noticed a reduction in the dark spot that obstructed his vision and a gradual return of his depth perception. The increased oxygen supply to his retina and optic nerve facilitated by HBOT likely contributed to the healing process, improving his overall visual acuity.