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RecruitingNCT07140198Updated May 14, 2026

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to Improve Autologous Fat Graft Intake in Irradiated Breast

An interventional study of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Control in Breast Reconstruction, Lipofilling and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, sponsored by University Hospital, Geneva. Recruiting at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-14.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Geneva · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Mar 2026; still recruiting 8 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
16
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) enhances fat graft survival in lipofilling procedures in irradiated breast cancer patients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does it improve fat graft survival ? Evaluate safety and tolerability of HBOT in this setting? Researchers will compare patient receiving HBOT to a control group without HBOT to see if.

Sixteen female patients will undergo two autologous fat grafting sessions: one with HBOT and one without, in a randomized sequence. Patients will undergo three MRI during the study to evaluate the fat retention rate.

Read the detailed description

This is a prospective, monocentric, randomized controlled phase II crossover clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in improving fat graft retention following autologous fat transfer (AFT) in breast reconstruction for patients with prior radiotherapy.

AFT is widely used in breast reconstruction but is often less effective in irradiated tissues due to reduced vascularization and oxygenation, which compromises graft survival. HBOT, which involves breathing 100% oxygen at 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA), has been shown to promote angiogenesis and tissue oxygenation, potentially improving fat graft integration and reducing complications in irradiated tissues.

The study will enroll 16 adult female patients who have undergone radiotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment and are scheduled to receive two sessions of AFT. Each participant will be randomized to one of two sequences:

  • Sequence AB: AFT alone (control) followed by AFT + HBOT (intervention)
  • Sequence BA: AFT + HBOT followed by AFT alone HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the fat grafting procedure. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

Primary Objective:

To determine whether HBOT significantly improves fat graft retention in irradiated breast tissue, assessed as the percentage of volume retained (measured by MRI) six months postoperatively.

Secondary Objectives:

  • To assess the absolute fat volume retention in milliliters
  • To evaluate the safety and tolerability of HBOT in this setting
  • To assess the incidence of clinical and radiological complications (e.g., infection, hematoma, oil cysts, liponecrosis) The crossover design minimizes inter-patient variability by allowing each patient to serve as her own control. Randomization occurs immediately after the first AFT session.

The anticipated duration of participation per subject is approximately 12 to 18 months, and the total study duration is estimated at 3 years (from November 2025 to November 2028).

02

Conditions studied

  • Breast Reconstruction
  • Lipofilling
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Keywords

  • breast reconstruction
  • Irradiation
  • hyperbaric oxygen therapy
  • lipofilling
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Geneva is the lead sponsor of 379 studies on the registry; 70 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adult (18 y.o. or more) female patients considered for lipofilling following breast reconstruction in an oncological setting which received radiation therapy on the affected breast.
  • Ability to provide , documented by signature

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Unability to provide
  • Previous enrolment into the current investigation

to HBOT :

  • Anamnestically reported spontaneous pneumothorax
  • Status post-thoracotomy
  • Significant intra-pulmonary lesions (including emphysematous bullae)
  • Respiratory function disorders (both obstructive and restrictive syndromes)
  • Pregnancy
  • Major psychiatric disorders
  • Uncontrollable claustrophobic reaction
  • Seizures, even if treated and asymptomatic for some time
  • Status post-severe traumatic brain injury with neurological deficits and seizures
  • Decompensated heart failure
  • Recent myocardial infarction (\<6 months) or with persistent hemodynamic sequelae
  • Spastic coronary angina
  • Cardiac arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, sinus node dysfunction, Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome
  • Cardiac pacemakers with unknown pressure resistance
  • Severe bradycardia
  • Sinus ostium displacement (acute or chronic)
  • Displacement of the auditory canal entrance (acute or chronic)
  • Status post-tympanoplasty type I-III \<3 months
  • Acute febrile state
  • Optic neuritis
  • Unstabilized hyperthyroidism

Contra-indication to MRI :

  • Non-MRI-compatible pacemaker, cochlear implant, drug-infusion pump or neurostimulator.
  • Metallic foreign body in critical area (eye, brain, etc.)
  • Ferromagnetic vascular surgical clips of older generation, e.g., for intracranial aneurysm repair.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
16 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Other
    Sequence AB

    AFT alone (control) followed by AFT + HBOT (intervention)

    Procedure: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy · Other: Control

  • Other
    Sequence BA

    AFT + HBOT followed by AFT alone

    Procedure: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy · Other: Control

Interventions

  • ProcedureHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

    HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the lipofilling. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

  • OtherControl

    Patients in the control group will undergo standard follow-up after the lipofilling without HBOT.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of fat graft volume retained

    Fat graft volume retention in % is assessed by comparing preoperative and six-month postoperative MRI measurements.

    Time frame: From enrollment until six months after the second lipofilling procedure.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Absolute retention of fat graft volume

    Six months after each lipofilling procedure, an MRI is performed to evaluate the absolute retention of fat graft volume (in mL) by comparing preoperative and postoperative MRI scans.

    Time frame: Participants will be followed from enrollment to six months after the second lipofilling procedure.

  2. Clinical and radiological complications of lipofilling

    During follow-up, after each intervention, patients will be assessed for postoperative complications, including infections, hematoma, implant explantation (if applicable), and reoperation. Radiological complications will also be recorded during each MRI, such as the presence of liponecrosis or oil cysts.

    Time frame: Outcomes will be assessed from the time of the first lipofilling procedure through six months following the second procedure.

  3. Number of Participants with hyperbaric oxygen therapy Related Adverse Events.

    All adverse events related to hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be recorded to assess its safety in the context of the study. Premature cessation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, along with the reasons for discontinuation, will be recorded to assess its tolerability.

    Time frame: Adverse events will be monitored from the initiation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy until six months after the end of the therapy

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Strong AL, Cederna PS, Rubin JP, Coleman SR, Levi B. The Current State of Fat Grafting: A Review of Harvesting, Processing, and Injection Techniques. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015 Oct;136(4):897-912. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000001590. PubMed 26086386 ↗
  • Andre-Levigne D, Modarressi A, Pignel R, Bochaton-Piallat ML, Pittet-Cuenod B. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes wound repair in ischemic and hyperglycemic conditions, increasing tissue perfusion and collagen deposition. Wound Repair Regen. 2016 Nov;24(6):954-965. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12480. Epub 2016 Oct 18. PubMed 27684570 ↗
  • Moen I, Stuhr LE. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and cancer--a review. Target Oncol. 2012 Dec;7(4):233-42. doi: 10.1007/s11523-012-0233-x. Epub 2012 Oct 2. PubMed 23054400 ↗
  • Meier EL, Mink van der Molen DR, Lansdorp CA, Batenburg MCT, van der Leij F, Verkooijen HM, Boonstra O, Hummelink S, Ulrich DJO. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for local late radiation toxicity in breast cancer patients: A systematic review. Breast. 2023 Feb;67:46-54. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2022.12.009. Epub 2022 Dec 22. PubMed 36587606 ↗
  • De Wolde SD, Hulskes RH, Weenink RP, Hollmann MW, Van Hulst RA. The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygenation on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Angiogenesis. Biomolecules. 2021 Aug 14;11(8):1210. doi: 10.3390/biom11081210. PubMed 34439876 ↗
  • Liang J, Sun X, Yi L, Lv J. Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on the Survival Rate of Autologous Fat Transplantation. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2023 Feb;47(1):423-429. doi: 10.1007/s00266-022-03096-y. Epub 2022 Sep 27. PubMed 36168069 ↗
  • El-Sabawi B, Carey JN, Hagopian TM, Sbitany H, Patel KM. Radiation and breast reconstruction: Algorithmic approach and evidence-based outcomes. J Surg Oncol. 2016 Jun;113(8):906-12. doi: 10.1002/jso.24143. Epub 2016 Jan 11. PubMed 26750435 ↗
  • Pu LL. Mechanisms of Fat Graft Survival. Ann Plast Surg. 2016 Feb;77 Suppl 1:S84-6. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000000730. PubMed 26808753 ↗
  • Herly M, Orholt M, Larsen A, Pipper CB, Bredgaard R, Gramkow CS, Katz AJ, Drzewiecki KT, Vester-Glowinski PV. Efficacy of breast reconstruction with fat grafting: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2018 Dec;71(12):1740-1750. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2018.08.024. Epub 2018 Sep 4. PubMed 30245019 ↗
  • Shim YH, Zhang RH. Literature Review to Optimize the Autologous Fat Transplantation Procedure and Recent Technologies to Improve Graft Viability and Overall Outcome: A Systematic and Retrospective Analytic Approach. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2017 Aug;41(4):815-831. doi: 10.1007/s00266-017-0793-3. Epub 2017 Feb 7. PubMed 28175966 ↗
  • Gentilucci M, Mazzocchi M, Alfano C. Effects of Prophylactic Lipofilling After Radiotherapy Compared to Non-Fat Injected Breasts: A Randomized, Objective Study. Aesthet Surg J. 2020 Sep 14;40(10):NP597-NP607. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjaa182. PubMed 32598447 ↗
  • Batenburg MCT, Maarse W, van der Leij F, Baas IO, Boonstra O, Lansdorp N, Doeksen A, van den Bongard DHJG, Verkooijen HM. The impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on late radiation toxicity and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Sep;189(2):425-433. doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06332-2. Epub 2021 Jul 19. PubMed 34279734 ↗
  • Mink van der Molen DR, Batenburg MCT, Maarse W, van den Bongard DHJG, Doeksen A, de Lange MY, van der Pol CC, Evers DJ, Lansdorp CA, van der Laan J, van de Ven PM, van der Leij F, Verkooijen HM. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Late Local Toxic Effects in Patients With Irradiated Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2024 Apr 1;10(4):464-474. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.6776. PubMed 38329746 ↗
  • Pandey K, Teguh DN, van Hulst RA. Effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on skin elasticity in irradiated patients. Diving Hyperb Med. 2022 Sep 30;52(3):208-212. doi: 10.28920/dhm52.3.208-212. PubMed 36100932 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — In order to protect patient's privacy and data.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Mar 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2028, 32 months after the start.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 18, 2025
First posted
Aug 24, 2025
StartActual
Mar 1, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Nov 2028
CompletionEst.
Dec 2028
Last update
May 14, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 14, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07140198
Responsible party
Dominik André-Lévigne (Doctor, University Hospital, Geneva) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 24, 2025
Start date
Mar 1, 2026
Primary completion
Nov 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2028 (estimated)
Last update
May 14, 2026

Study contacts

Dominik André-Lévigne, MD, PhD
Contact
dlev@hug.ch
+41 (0)22 372 79 97
Matteo Scampa, MD
Contact
asmp@hug.ch
+41 (0)79 55 38 542
Daniel F Kalbermatten, MD, PhD
study chair · Geneva University Hospitals, Plastic surgery division

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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