The Ophthalmology Development of Hyperbaric Medicine for Treating Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in Hong Kong

Abstract

Hong Kong first established the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for treatment of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion (CRAO) since November 2018 [1]. Before the era of hospital-based HBOT in 2018, similar service was provided by the Fire Services Department of the government on a remote island situated Recompression Treatment Center, which was designed to train and treat divers [2]. CRAO was not on the treatment indication list during that diversoriented era. From September 2018 onwards, HBOT public hospital service was provided under the Accident and Emergency department in Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, the only territory public hospital with HBOT chambers currently [3]. CRAO was then included as one of the treatment indications supported by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and United States Food and Drug Administration approval [4].