The Clifford Surgery is an MOH-approved day surgery centre at 50 Raffles Place. Patients who have surgery here can add hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, to their recovery plan. The chamber sits in the same building at The Clifford Clinic. Your surgeon decides whether HBOT suits your operation and when to start.
Hard-Shell Chamber at 2.0 ATA
Same Building as Your Surgeon
What HBOT does for a healing wound
In a hyperbaric chamber you breathe oxygen at twice normal air pressure. Far more oxygen dissolves into the blood and reaches tissue that is bruised, swollen or short of blood supply. Oxygen is what a wound uses to build new blood vessels, lay down collagen and fight infection. Hospitals have used HBOT for decades on wounds that will not heal and on skin flaps and grafts at risk of dying.
When sessions start and how many
Sessions usually start one to three days after surgery, once the dressing is stable and the surgeon is happy. A typical course after surgery is five to ten sessions over two weeks. Each session lasts 60 to 90 minutes at 2.0 ATA. You sit or lie in a hard-shell chamber with a clear window, and the pressure comes up slowly like a plane landing.
Plastic surgeons A/Prof Vincent Yeow and Dr Shenthilkumar Naidu, and hand surgeon Dr Edwin Tan, operate at The Clifford Surgery. Each decides case by case whether HBOT is worth adding.
Which operations HBOT is used after
| Operation | Why oxygen matters |
|---|---|
| Facelift, neck lift and eyelid surgery | Thin skin flaps with a long blood supply, where swelling and bruising slow healing |
| Rhinoplasty and septoplasty | Swelling inside a small space, where faster settling helps the final shape show sooner |
| Breast surgery and tummy tuck | Long incisions and lifted tissue that need a steady blood supply |
| Hand surgery and tendon repair | Small vessels, a lot of swelling, and a need to start movement early |
| Fat grafting | Transferred fat survives only if blood vessels grow into it within days |
| Scar revision and keloid excision | Cleaner healing with less inflammation lowers the chance of a thick scar |
What the evidence says about HBOT after surgery
Strongest for wounds that are already struggling
Smokers, diabetes and revision surgery gain most
A Cochrane review found that HBOT improved healing of diabetic foot ulcers in the short term. Smokers, people with diabetes and people having a second operation through old scar tissue are the groups most likely to benefit, because their tissue oxygen is lowest to begin with. A 2025 review in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery set out how surgeons can pick the higher-risk patients who gain most from HBOT after cosmetic surgery. For a healthy non-smoker having a small operation, HBOT is a comfort and speed choice rather than a medical need, and your surgeon will say so.
What an HBOT session after surgery is like
A doctor at The Clifford Clinic screens you before the first session and checks your ears, chest and medical history. You then sit or lie in the chamber while the pressure rises over a few minutes, and you clear your ears the way you would on a plane. You breathe oxygen for 60 to 90 minutes while you rest, read or sleep. The pressure comes down slowly at the end and you walk back to your day.
HBOT after surgery cost
A single 60-minute session is S$250. Five sessions cost S$1,100, ten cost S$2,000 and twenty cost S$3,000. Recovery after elective surgery is not on the MOH list of approved HBOT conditions, so MediSave does not apply and the price is paid in full. The full cost table, the MediSave rules and the research behind HBOT are on the hyperbaric oxygen therapy page at The Clifford Clinic.
Heal faster after
your surgery
Ask your surgeon about adding HBOT to your recovery plan
Who should not have HBOT
A doctor screens every patient before the first session. Tell the team about any lung disease, claustrophobia or pregnancy. HBOT is not used if you have any of the following.
An untreated collapsed lung
Certain ear or sinus problems
A recent chest or ear operation
Some chemotherapy drugs still in your system
Uncontrolled asthma or other active lung disease
Pregnancy, unless your doctor advises otherwise
HBOT after surgery FAQs
How soon after surgery can I start HBOT?
Most courses start one to three days after the operation, once the dressing is stable and your surgeon is happy with the wound.
How many HBOT sessions will I need after surgery?
A typical course after surgery is five to ten sessions over two weeks. Your surgeon and the HBOT doctor set the number for your operation.
Does HBOT hurt?
No. The most common feeling is fullness in the ears as the pressure rises, which clears the same way it does on a plane. Most people rest, read or sleep during the session.
Where is the chamber?
The hard-shell chamber is at The Clifford Clinic, in the same building as The Clifford Surgery at 50 Raffles Place, Singapore Land Tower.
Can I use MediSave for HBOT after surgery?
No. Recovery after elective surgery is not on the MOH list of approved HBOT conditions, so the published price is paid in full.
How much does HBOT after surgery cost?
A single 60-minute session is S$250. Five sessions cost S$1,100, ten cost S$2,000 and twenty cost S$3,000.
References
- Kranke P, Bennett MH, Martyn-St James M, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004123.pub4
- Bruno A, et al. Stratifying risk to optimize hyperbaric oxygen therapy in aesthetic surgery. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2025. doi.org/10.1007/s00266-025-05134-x
- Ho CY, et al. Preconditioning and postoperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce skin flap erosion. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2019. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2019.01.020
