FAQ
Heal Up To
80% Faster
Hyperbaric Therapy
Plastic Surgery
Better Results for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Patients
Hyperbaric Therapy is a Natural
Adjunct to Plastic Surgery.
Hyperbaric Therapy is not experimental nor is it a new treatment for wounds and burns. It has been used in hospitals as a treatment for wounds and thermal burns since 1965.
During surgery, skin and/or cartilage may be cut and repositioned. Around these cuts there is compromised blood flow due to the damage to blood vessels and the interruption to oxygen carrying red blood cells. Since blood carries life-giving oxygen, which is essential to the healing process, it is critical that these compromised areas receive enough oxygen in order to heal properly. The swelling and edema that accompany surgical wounds can also compress nearby vessels, further compromising blood flow and oxygen delivery to the affected cells at the wound site. Cells which are deprived of oxygen may lie dormant and eventually die.
Oxygen is very important to wound healing. Given the appropriate conditions and with the help of hyperbaric therapy, viable cells from healthy areas migrate into wounds and start to reproduce.
Additionally, hyperbaric therapy can enhance the amount of oxygen present in the blood as well as allow oxygen to reach the compromised area by forcing oxygen to dissolve into the plasma. This additional oxygen can make up for some of the loss of blood and oxygen to the compromised areas. The quicker oxygen restoration occurs results in a better recovery, since early on, there are more viable cells to salvage. The patient heals significantly faster. Therefore, the decreased healing time is likely to result in less scar tissue around the compromised area.
“Decreased edema [fluid] noted following hyperbaric treatment allows better diffusion of oxygen and nutrients through tissues while also relieving pressure on surrounding vessels and structures.”
Michael Neurmeister, MD, FRCSC, FACS
Primary Effects of
Hyperbaric Therapy
Hyperoxygenation
- Greater oxygen carrying capacity
- Increased oxygen diffusion in tissue fluid
- Diffusion distance proportional to the square root of dissolved oxygen
Decrease Gas Bubble Size
- Boyle law – Gas volume inversely proportional to pressure
- Hyperbaric diffusion gradient favors gas leaving the bubble and oxygen moving in, metabolizing oxygen in the bubble
- Bubbles become unstable as they decrease in size
Secondary Effects of
Hyperbaric Therapy
Vasoconstriction
- Decreased inflow into tissues
- Decreased edema
Angiogensis
- Increased oxygen gradient between wound and surrounding environment
- Increased fibroblast proliferation leading to increased collagen deposition and increased fibronectin, which aids in neovascularization
Fibroblast Proliferation
- Oxygen-dependent proliferation
Leukocyte Oxidative Killing
- Increased oxygen free radicals
- Anaerobes lack superoxide dismutase to control oxygen free radicals
Toxin Inhibition
- Decreased clostridial alpha toxins
Antibiotic Synergy
Fluoroquinolones, amphotericin B, and aminoglycosides – Use oxygen to transport across cell membranes.
A Physics Lesson
In Layman’s terms… Oxygen just like any other gas behaves in accordance with the laws of physics. The increased pressure in a hyperbaric chamber decreases the volume of oxygen, but increases the amount of it. Therefore, there is more oxygen to dissolve into the plasma than there would be breathing 100% oxygen at normal atmospheric conditions.
Under normal atmospheric conditions, the physiological maximum, of oxygen carried in the blood stream bound to hemoglobin is 97.5%. The remaining 2.5% is dissolved in plasma. However, under hyperbaric conditions there can be up to a 400% increase in oxygen saturation.
Immune Function
All surgeries depress the immune system making one more susceptible to infection. “Medical science knows that when the immune cell encounters a bacterium, it undergoes what is termed a ‘respiratory burst’.” The amount of oxygen required to fuel this burst and boost the immune function dramatically increases. Even at this most critical time of need for the immune cells, the inflammatory response and edema result in impaired oxygen delivery.
With hyperbaric chambers, the immune system is boosted by the decrease in apoptosis (a function of programmed cell death) and an increase in natural killer cell (primary criteria for determining immune strength and health) activity.
“I appreciate very much what you and your hyperbaric oxygen chamber did for my patient, Polly Fritsch. I think the combined use of the nitroglycerin ointment and the hyperbaric unit saved her facial skin from a disastrous situation.”
John H. Hartley, Jr., MD, FACS
Primary Effects of
Hyperbaric Therapy
Hyperoxygenation
· Greater oxygen carrying capacity
· Increased oxygen diffusion in tissue fluid
· Diffusion distance proportional to the square root of dissolved oxygen
Decrease Gas Bubble Size
· Boyle law – Gas volume inversely proportional to pressure
· Hyperbaric diffusion gradient favors gas leaving the bubble and oxygen moving in, metabolizing oxygen in the bubble
· Bubbles become unstable as they decrease in size
Secondary Effects of
Hyperbaric Therapy
Vasoconstriction
· Decreased inflow into tissues
· Decreased edema
Angiogensis
· Increased oxygen gradient between wound and surrounding environment
· Increased fibroblast proliferation leading to increased collagen deposition and increased fibronectin, which aids in neovascularization
Fibroblast Proliferation
· Oxygen-dependent proliferation
Leukocyte Oxidative Killing
· Increased oxygen free radicals
· Anaerobes lack superoxide dismutase to control oxygen free radicals
Toxin Inhibition
· Decreased clostridial alpha toxins
Antibiotic Synergy
Fluoroquinolones, amphotericin B, and aminoglycosides – Use oxygen to transport across cell membranes.
A Physics Lesson
In Layman’s terms… Oxygen just like any other gas behaves in accordance with the laws of physics. The increased pressure in a hyperbaric chamber decreases the volume of oxygen, but increases the amount of it. Therefore, there is more oxygen to dissolve into the plasma than there would be breathing 100% oxygen at normal atmospheric conditions.
Under normal atmospheric conditions, the physiological maximum, of oxygen carried in the blood stream bound to hemoglobin is 97.5%. The remaining 2.5% is dissolved in plasma. However, under hyperbaric conditions there can be up to a 400% increase in oxygen saturation.
Immune Function
All surgeries depress the immune system making one more susceptible to infection. “Medical science knows that when the immune cell encounters a bacterium, it undergoes what is termed a ‘respiratory burst’.” The amount of oxygen required to fuel this burst and boost the immune function dramatically increases. Even at this most critical time of need for the immune cells, the inflammatory response and edema result in impaired oxygen delivery.
With hyperbaric chambers, the immune system is boosted by the decrease in apoptosis (a function of programmed cell death) and an increase in natural killer cell (primary criteria for determining immune strength and health) activity.
“I appreciate very much what you and your hyperbaric oxygen chamber did for my patient, Polly Fritsch. I think the combined use of the nitroglycerin ointment and the hyperbaric unit saved her facial skin from a disastrous situation.”
John H. Hartley, Jr., MD, FACS
