Advanced Hyperbaric Recovery, LLC

Hyperbaric Chamber for Vets

loren — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:00:05 +0000

Stroke Recovery with HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy)

loren — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:41:42 +0000

HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) Corrects Brain-Injury.

loren — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:40:25 +0000

Lyme Disease and Hyperbaric Oxygen

loren — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:38:32 +0000

Hyperbaric Articles by Dr. Stoller

Craimer — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:29:22 +0000

Hyperbaric Oxygen and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Interview with Dr. Kenneth P. Stoller

Documenting Improvements Caused by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Quantification of Neurocognitive Changes Before, During, and After Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in a Case of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Request an HBOT article

Craimer — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:28:37 +0000

This page is dedicated to Dr. Kenneth Stoller, MD and also Janet Jasmine MD. If you have any requests to articles or questions, please go to the contact page

What role does HBOT play in breast cancer and radiation effects?

lorenzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:45:22 +0000

Since the early 1970’s radical surgery for Stage I Breast Cancer has changed significantly.
At this time major surgery is rarely done since it is well understood that malignancy of the breast is a systemic disease and the role of chemotherapy a major one.
Due to the common use of mammography and directed breast biopsy, breast cancer is discovered much earlier now.
The usual treatment of Stage I Cancer is lumpectomy and primary radiotherapy to the breast and axilla.
The radiation is usually well tolerated initially. Acute inflammatory skin changes may be seen but usually do not require HBOT to prevent permanent damage. HBOT will help with the resolution of the inflammation if it is readily available and affordable.
The major radiation injury to the skin is chronic and results in fibrosis and narrowing of the small blood vessels. This results in a lowered amount of molecular oxygen in the tissues and may be easily demonstrated with tissue oxygen measurement.
If the patient experiences a recurrence of the breast cancer in the same breast – total mastectomy with skin and areola/nipple sparing is usually done. A reconstruction of the breast may also be done at the same time.
In situations such as this, skin flap and nipple necrosis is a common complication.
If the patient is treated with 20 pre-op HBOT and 10 post-op Rx a significant reduction in these wound healing complications occurs. Dr. Marx at the University of Miami has clearly demonstrated the normalization of the tissue oxygen levels after 12-15 HBOT in previously radiated tissue.
In the United States today, radiation patients comprise 30% of those treated for Medicare approved diagnosis in hospital based HBOT facilities. The results are excellent in 80% of patients treated for this complication.

Frederick S. Cramer, M.D.

FAQ for Cramer

Craimer — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:06:28 +0000

What would the protocol for general wellness be?
The protocol will be based on each patient individually. 2.0ATA for 90 minutes, once every other day for 40 tx is probably a good example.

How can HBOT help interested Firemen and women fighting the California Fires?
HBOT helps significantly with smoke inhalation. Dr Cramer would meet with the patients, but the treatment protocol is likely a 60 minute treatment at a depth of 1.5ATA.

Is HBOT effective in treating addiction to ambient drugs like Oxycotin? Protocol?
HBOT can help with any type of rehabilitation from drug abuse. It helps the detoxification of the blood and re-oxygenation of the body. The withdrawal symptoms may also be reduced. The patient must be committed to end all addiction to the drug, but can be treated at 2.0ATA for 60-90 mins.

What is Superior Vena cava Tributary syndrome and how can HBOT help?
SVTS is common. When there is an obstruction in the SVC it can cause swelling and pain in the arms and neck. HBOT helps by increasing circulation. Suggest that the patient collect medical records and make an appointment with Dr Cramer.

On your last visit, you wrote a protocol for asthma (2.0ATA, 40tx). How exactly can HBOT help a severely asthmatic patient?
Asthma is an inflammatory disease caused by allergens. There is swelling and restriction of the bronchioles. HBOT is an anti-inflammatory, which helps improve the patients condition when there are spasms. Do NOT treat severe asthma, as there are safer methods. (Patients are not allowed to bring anything in the chamber, including inhalers—in the event of an attack, it may take several minutes to depressurize the patient.)

Does HBOT help with seizure disorders?

Craimer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:17:08 +0000

The transition from diving and occupational medicine to clinical application of HBOT is difficult for both physicians and scientists. Paul Bert first documented the role of HBOT and Grand Mal Seizures (1887) The belief is that HBOT lowers the seizure threshold, but there is no scientific evidence for this concept. The routine rejection of HBOT for anyone with a seizure disorder is still common practice in some HBOT facilities. Clinical experience with brain damaged & CP children, with well documented epilepsy, routinely improved with HBOT. The same clinical observations are noted with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. Functional nuclear medicine studies, SPECT & PET, clearly document that seizure foci in the brain; not detectable on CT/MRI, are both hypoperfused and hypometabolic. Low blood flow and low mitochondrial metabolism = HYPOXIA.
Is this a PARADOX? NO – it is well understood that HBOT stimulates the production of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and new capillaries grow into formerly hypoxic tissue. This hypothesis needs to be clinically tested by pre and post HBOT studies (SPECT & PET) that will document the changes in the previous seizure foci. If the above hypothesis is objectively documented – HBOT will become the treatment of choice in epilepsy. Since epilepsy is the most common serious neurological that humans suffer from, the impact on the general population will be significant.

Frederick S. Cramer, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Presentation www.hbot2008.com July 2008 Torrance, CA

*Signed with amendments on June 12th, 2008 (14:48)

Is there a difference between ’soft’ chambers and ‘Hard’ Hyperbaric Chambers?

Craimer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:56:23 +0000

‘Soft’ hyperbaric chambers are ineffective in comparison to ‘hard,’ medical grade hyperbaric chambers. They are not ASME and PVHO approved, they waste the time and money of the patients using them. Not only will you never find them in hospital units, but there is important research available that demonstrates the dangers of these lesser quality chambers. Oxygen pressures that do not exceed 1.4 ATA (4.4 psig) produce an environment that promotes and enhances the growth of aerobic bacteria and some molds. Until the chamber reaches a depth greater than or equal to 1.5 ATA, there is no bacteriostatic effect, which puts the patient at great risk for infection.¹

Keep in mind that the National Protocols for hyperbaric medicine are based on the use of Medical grade hyperbaric chambers and are not based on, nor intended for use with soft bag chambers (that are made solely for the use of treating altitude sickness.) The FDA prohibits the use of any supplemental oxygen whatsoever with the soft chambers. It is approved to be pressurized with air only.
What’s more, research proves that the non-rigid design of the inflatable chambers is directly effected by the surrounding ambient atmospheric pressure.² In short, inflatable chambers that claim to reach 1.3 ATA may only be reaching 1.23ATA depending on your distance to sea level. True, medical-grade hyperbaric chambers do not present any of these problems.

Signed, Frederick S. Cramer, MD, FACS

¹ Textbook of Hyperbaric medicine, p. 493, K.K. Jain, et al.
² www.airnav.com & www.leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=868