Skin, Cell, and Circulation Conditions

CopHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a great benefit to patients following some of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures… Abdominoplasty (tummytuck), Rhinoplasty (nose refinement), Liposuction, Facelift and Breast Augmentation. Patients who receive HBOT recover much faster in the post op period.
HBOT works by increasing the oxygen concentration in all body tissues. In areas that have been compromised by surgical trauma, HBOT stimulates the growth of new blood vessels that assist in bringing more oxygen to the cells of the damaged tissue. This supplies the nourishment necessary for wound healing which in turn, leads to a faster recovery and less scarring. HBOT is a non-invasive medical treatment administered by having the patient breathe 100% oxygen at atmospheric pressures 1 to 3 times greater than normal ( sea level ) in a sealed chamber. This increased pressure causes the blood to take up greater volumes of oxygen; delivering 15-20 times more oxygen at the cellular level in tissues to enhance the healing process. The use of HBOT in cosmetic procedures may involve 2-3 treatments prior to surgery. This will stimulate and enhance the normal functions of the skin. The subsequent 3-4 treatment post surgery will result in the benefits noted above. Each session of HBOT treatment is 60 minutes. This protocol has been estimated to reduce recovery time by 33-50%.
Studies have shown the benefits of HBOT in cosmetic procedures with regards to:

• Reduction in swelling / inflammation and bruising
• Decreased risk of infection at the incision site; oxygen has an anti-bacterial effect
• Reduction in post op pain, which will allow the patient to return to a normal lifestyle much faster
• In non-surgical procedures, patients can see the erythema (redness) associated with laser re-surfacing and chemical peels diminish much quicker

When scuba diving, additional oxygen and nitrogen dissolve in body tissues. The additional oxygen is consumed by the tissues, but the excess nitrogen must be washed out by the blood during decompression. During or after ascent this excess nitrogen gas can form bubbles in the tissues, analogous to the carbon dioxide bubbles that form when a carbonated beverage container is opened. These bubbles may then cause symptoms that are referred to as decompression sickness (“DCS” or “the bends”). Trapping of gas within the lungs during ascent, either because the lung is diseased or because of breath-holding, can cause bubbles to be forced into the bloodstream (“arterial gas embolism” or “AGE”), where they can block the flow of blood or damage the lining of blood vessels supplying critical organs such as the brain. The success of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for DCS or AGE has borne the test of time, and continues to be the standard of care for the treatment of these disorders.

More than 23 million Americans suffer from diabetes. This preventable disease is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. Every 30 seconds a diabetic loses a limb to this disease. Patients need to understand the danger of non-healing wounds and how they can prevent this loss. People with diabetes have poor circulation to their extremities, especially to their feet.This leads to an inability of the body to heal from breaks in skin, cuts, and scrapes. Neuropathy is another condition where diabetics ‪lose sensation to their skin. It is very important for diabetic patients to frequently check for skin breaks on arms, hands, legs and feet.

​Air or gas embolism occurs when gas bubbles enter arteries, veins and/or capillaries. This results in reduced blood flow and poor oxygen delivery to the areas supplied by the affected circulation. Hyperbaric oxygen has been shown to reduce the size of bubbles obstructing circulation. The increased pressure in the hyperbaric chamber reduces bubble size and drives the remaining gas into physical solution, while the high oxygen pressure washes out inert gas from the bubble. When bubbles are smaller or resolved blood flow resumes.

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into numerous different cell types and serve as the body’s primary internal repair system. The innate ability of stem cells to differentiate into other types of cells with specialized functions (blood, brain or tissue/cells) replenishes and regenerates the body from the effects of aging and disease. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been shown to significantly increase the concentration of circulating stem/progenitor cells within the peripheral circulation system. By increasing blood plasma oxygen levels, bone marrow derived stem cells were shown to significantly proliferate and mobilize. The proposed mechanism of action was through nitric oxide dependent mechanism. This evidence plays a key role in regenerative medicine as the increased number of stem cells in the body have the ability to provide enhanced and accelerated physiological repair.