Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as an Adjunct to Plastic Surgery

Undersea Oxygen Clinic

Hyperbaric oxygen Therapy (HBOT) involves inspiration of pure oxygen at greater pressures than normal. For the past 20 years, administration of HBOT and its potential benefits in management of diseases have been more clarified. HBO for the first-line treatment of several conditions and a superb helping (adjunct) therapy for many medical conditions. In the early 1960s, HBOT was widely used in a variety of medical indications. (1) Numerous studies have revealed how well HBOT works.

HBOT has been shown to be an effective method for treating complex wounds as well as burns and now is being researched to improve the results of wounds and burns caused by elective surgeries. The way HBOT stimulates response is by helping your body create collagen (the building blocks of cells and organs), reduces pain, reduction of swelling, hyperoxygenation (super oxygenating cells) as well as angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels). HBOT increases the ability of your own blood to upload, carry, and deliver oxygen to tissues. Wounds treated with HBOT therapy are improved and have more rapid wound healing. Wound healing is a primary interest area for patients as well as the collective health care industry so much so that physicians modify surgical techniques, pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on research and development, and some patients use anecdotal home remedies in their care to facilitate a more rapid recovery. A better, more effective solution exists with HBOT.

Complex wounds are challenging to manage, with many associated problems. The main problems appear to include having to deal with underlying diseases such as diabetes, vascular problems, history of radiation therapy, low oxygen and wound infection. Low oxygen content in cells affects tissue metabolism and reduces PH, which prohibit wound healing. In a previous study it was shown that low oxygen around the edge of a wound was associated with a 39 folds increased risk of early healing failure. (2) Another study (3) concluded that tissue oxygen shortage was directly related to wound failure rate. Lack of oxygen can lead to many chronic wounds. HBOT increases oxygenation of tissues and supports wound healing. Clinical outcome seems to improve after HBO treatments, even though traditional wound treatments had been unsuccessful.

At the Undersea Oxygen Clinic Hyperbaric Center (located on Westshore Blvd in Tampa) we have established a protocol that has patients oxygenate a few times before a surgery and then several times afterwards to maximize healing. We have partnered with local area surgeons to facilitate better healing for their clients. One such symbiotic relationship exists between us and the Tampa Eye Clinic. Dr. Scheiner is board certified in Ophthalmology and performs facial plastic surgery.

“I have a practice in Laser Eyelid and Facial Plastic surgery and we have used lasers to help improve past sun damage in our patient for many years. The healing after the treatment usually takes 10-14 days. We were introduced to Hyperbaric Oxygen as an option to help speed healing from our laser treatments and have seen impressive results. The Hyperbaric Oxygen has sped up healing 30-40% after our laser treatments. The Undersea Oxygen Clinic has been wonderful in working with our patients and I feel very comfortable having my surgery patients work with such a caring and expert group.” Adam J. Scheiner, M.D.

While the lasers are used to burn the skin and improve the overall look of the patients (as evidenced by the photos), the pre and post HBOT prepares the skin for the work and speeds healing time significantly. Another study showed that HBOT offers patients a statistically significant, perioperative therapy that decreased bruising in patients undergoing face-lift by 35%. (4)

HBOT is effective, ethical and safe procedure. Its use for pre and post-surgical care has very promising results.