Hyperbaric Medicine in Baltimore: Dr. Daniel Jaller's Practice for Wound Care and Decompression Sickness
Daniel Jaller, MD, operates a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) practice that treats wounds resistant to standard care and dive-related decompression injuries within the Baltimore medical system. His practice represents one of a limited number of dedicated hyperbaric facilities in the region, sitting alongside university-affiliated centers and serving patients from across Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
What Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Actually Is
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers 100% oxygen at pressures greater than sea level in a pressurized chamber. The process increases oxygen dissolved in the bloodstream, accelerating tissue repair in chronic wounds, stimulating immune response in certain infections, and reversing nitrogen bubble complications from diving accidents. Dr. Jaller's practice focuses on two clinical categories: non-healing wounds (diabetic foot ulcers, post-surgical wounds, radiation injuries, vascular insufficiency wounds) and acute decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism.
In Baltimore, HBOT sits outside standard emergency departments and urgent care settings. Hyperbaric centers require specialized equipment, trained chamber operators, and physician oversight. This means access depends on referral pathways and facility location, not walk-in availability.
Services and Typical Treatment Protocols
Dr. Jaller's practice provides diagnostic evaluation, chamber therapy, and coordination with wound care teams. A typical wound-care patient undergoes 20 to 40 treatments, with each session lasting 90 to 120 minutes at 2.8 atmospheres absolute (ATA). Decompression sickness cases are treated emergently at higher pressures (6 ATA or greater) in shorter courses, sometimes requiring retreats over days.
Pricing varies by diagnosis and insurance coverage. Medicare typically reimburses HBOT for diabetic foot wounds, venous stasis ulcers, and arterial insufficiency wounds listed in specific ICD-10 codes; reimbursement is usually between $150 and $250 per session. Commercial insurance coverage is inconsistent; some plans deny coverage for certain wound types. Uninsured patients should expect costs ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 per treatment course. Verify coverage with your carrier before treatment begins, as denials are common and appeal timelines can delay care.
How Baltimore's Hyperbaric Options Compare
Baltimore has limited hyperbaric capacity. The University of Maryland Medical Center operates a hyperbaric service as part of its surgical services; it handles both wounds and acute diving injuries but typically requires referral from a primary care physician or specialist. Shock Trauma Center also maintains HBOT capacity for emergency decompression cases.
Dr. Jaller's private practice offers shorter appointment wait times (often 5 to 7 days for new consultations vs. 2 to 3 weeks at university centers) and dedicated wound-care continuity, meaning fewer handoffs between providers. However, university centers may accept more insurance plans and provide integrated plastic surgery and infectious-disease consultation on-site. For acute diving emergencies, Shock Trauma remains the only 24/7 option; Dr. Jaller's practice handles scheduled wound cases and non-emergency diving injuries.
Choose Dr. Jaller's practice if you have a chronic wound already diagnosed and need focused hyperbaric care without extensive secondary consultations. Choose a university center if your wound is complex, requires concurrent surgical evaluation, or if your insurance plan contracts exclusively with health systems.
Who Benefits and Who Does Not
Dr. Jaller's practice suits patients with FDA-approved wound indications (diabetic foot ulcers, chronic venous stasis ulcers, radiation-induced injury, arterial insufficiency) where standard care has failed and wound healing is stalled. Dive injury patients with decompression sickness within 72 hours of surfacing also benefit, though emergent cases should go directly to Shock Trauma.
The practice is not appropriate for acute dive emergencies (go to Shock Trauma immediately), non-FDA-approved wound types (cosmetic scars, burns outside radiation necrosis, keloids), or patients unable to tolerate repeated chamber sessions over weeks. Claustrophobia is a relative, not absolute, contraindication; mild anxiety is manageable, but severe claustrophobia may prevent treatment completion.
The First Visit and Evaluation Process
An initial appointment involves wound assessment, pressure tolerance testing, and imaging review. Dr. Jaller evaluates wound depth, tissue viability, infection status, and vascular supply. He orders transcutaneous oxygen measurements (TCOM) to confirm hypoxia and predict treatment response. Testing takes 45 to 90 minutes. If you proceed, your first chamber treatment is often scheduled 3 to 5 days later.
Bring recent imaging (X-rays, ultrasound), lab work (glucose, albumin, wound cultures if available), and a list of current medications. Certain drugs (chemotherapy, steroids at high doses, doxorubicin) can affect treatment response; disclose all medications. Insurance preauthorization is required; the practice typically handles this, but confirm coverage status before your consultation.
Hours, Location, and Logistics
Dr. Jaller's practice operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with limited Saturday availability for acute cases. The facility is located in central Baltimore; parking is available on-site. Confirm the exact address and current hours by phone, as chamber scheduling adjustments occur seasonally. Plan 2 to 3 hours for your first visit. Subsequent treatments are typically scheduled 5 to 6 days per week and run 90 to 120 minutes each.
Dr. Jaller's practice fills a gap in Baltimore's hyperbaric medicine by offering dedicated outpatient wound care without the delay and complexity of health-system referral pathways. For patients with non-healing wounds where other treatments have stalled, access to a single, focused provider can meaningfully compress the timeline to healing.
