Pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in improving the survival of reattached auricular composite grafts in the New Zealand White rabbit

OBJECTIVE: This investigation is a prospective, randomized, blinded study s eeking to evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in impro ving the survival of the reattached auricular composite graft. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty New Zealand White rabbits were randomly assigned to co ntrol (10) and treatment (10) groups in a prospective fashion. After amputa tion and reattachment of measured segments of each ear, the treatment group received 14 HBO treatments for 10 days. The control group received only st andard postoperative care. On postoperative day 18, the surviving composite grafts were measured, recorded, and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The mean percentage of graft survival for the control group was 0. 31% (range 0%-2.5%), and the mean for the group receiving HBO was 15.94% (r ange 0%-38%). A median test was used to evaluate this difference, which was found to be statistically significant (P = 0057). CONCLUSION: Our study appears to indicate a possible survival benefit for t he composite grafts in those rabbits that received HBO treatments. We belie ve that there are several significant difficulties with the rabbit as a mod el for this study, but we are encouraged at this point that a limited measu rable benefit was observed. Further investigations with HBO appear to be wa rranted at this time.