Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy San Francisco

At 8th Element, our hyperbaric oxygen therapy in San Francisco is comfortable, non-invasive, and safe. After gender affirmation surgery, you are likely in a delicate emotional and physical state and need our warm, caring support, understanding, and compassionate care.

8th Element Hyperbaric Medicine and You

At 8th Element Hyperbaric Medicine, we are focused on helping those who have undergone gender-affirming surgery to have a superior healing experience. At our clinic in San Francisco, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, has an incredible capacity to enhance the body’s natural healing process while warding off infections, reducing inflammation, and enhancing tissue health and function – and that’s just the start.

Gender-Affirming Surgery:

Speed Your Recovery with HBOT in San Francisco

Gender-affirming surgery enables you to finally have the body you want. For many, it can be a critical step in achieving happiness. The prospect of undergoing gender-affirming surgery is exciting, even exhilarating, but it also comes with concerns regarding surgical risk or facing complications.

These concerns are valid: according to research published by the National Institutes of Health, a very high percentage of patients who had gender-affirming surgery suffered complications, the most common being wound infection.

After your surgery, undergoing hyperbaric therapy in San Francisco at 8th Element can significantly help your surgical incisions heal more quickly, with a smoother, more elastic and cosmetically appealing result while reducing inflammation. It greatly reduces the risks of developing and infection, tissue loss and stricture, helping to avoid further surgeries or treatments.

patient receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy in san francisco

How Does It Work?

Every cell in your body needs oxygen. The natural way to have oxygen delivered is through the air you breathe, with the lungs accessing the gas and adding it to your red blood cells, which then circulate throughout the body bringing the oxygen to the cells. The ambient air you breathe is about 21 percent oxygen.

During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you breathe 100% pure oxygen while in a pressurized environment. As a result, the body is infused with much higher levels of oxygen than ambient air provides, producing a range of significant healing benefits. We invite you to schedule a consultation with us at our clinic for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in San Francisco.

Hyper-Oxygenation

As 100 percent oxygen is delivered in a pressurized (hyperbaric) environment, about 18 times the normal amount of oxygen is delivered to all body tissues. Oxygen supersaturation is an essential factor in the range of health benefits of this therapy.

Direct Pressure to Oxygen Molecules

Within the custom hyperbaric chamber, the oxygen molecules are compressed. This compression causes them to become more soluble (Henry’s Gas Law). A remarkable natural phenomenon then occurs: the oxygen is then able to cross the cell membranes, entering all of the body’s fluid systems, which deliver the oxygen throughout the body.

Assists in Protecting the Body Against Infection

Pathogenic bacteria responsible for infections after gender-affirming surgeries cannot survive in the oxygen-rich environment HBOT creates within your tissues, and the body’s natural defense against bacterial infections is enhanced.

Stimulates Blood Vessel Formation

Angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) is a critical aspect for the success of gender-affirming surgery. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy stimulates the body to develop new capillaries in “ischemic” areas – those with critically restricted blood flow after surgery.

Enhanced Antioxidant Capabilities

A natural enzyme found in human cells, called superoxide dismutase (SOD), works to deactivate superoxides, the most common free radicals in the body that destroy cells. HBOT stimulates SOD production, so the body can more effectively remove the byproducts of inflammation and free radicals.

Synergy with Antibiotics

After gender-affirming surgery, you might be prescribed a course of antibiotics to help ward off infection. Our hyperbaric therapy San Francisco creates a synergistic effect with certain antibiotics, to enhance the ability to fight bacterial infections.

Bone Regeneration (Osteoblast and Osteoclast Production)

Bone regeneration is enhanced with HBOT, as the oxygen flooding the body stimulates specialized cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts. These unique cells are responsible for repairing and forming bone.

Increased Natural Collagen Production

Collagen is an essential building block of all of the body’s connective tissues, and it plays a critical role in wound healing. In the hyperbaric oxygen environment, the collagen produced by the body is deposited in a more organized fashion, with the surgical incisions from gender affirmation surgery healing more quickly, and with enhanced cosmetic and functional results.

Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to tissue injury. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly reduces inflammation by stimulating the body’s natural anti-inflammatory defense system and reducing swelling (edema). These are critically important functions of our therapy.

Increases Stem Cell Migration

The body responds to tissue injury by sending existing stem cells to the surgical site. In a hyperbaric oxygen environment, the stem cell response is greatly enhanced. This enhanced stem cell migration causes post-operative tissues to heal more rapidly and once healed, to more closely resemble normal tissue.

office where hyperbaric oxygen therapy in san francisco is delivered

Connect with 8th

Element Hyperbaric Medicine

At 8th Element, we are dedicated to enhancing your journey and providing a level of personalized support that is truly extraordinary. Our goal is to help you heal more quickly, successfully, and with the results you seek. We are here to enhance your experience physically, emotionally, and personally. Our mission is Healing with Respect. Naturally. Not only do we deliver hyperbaric oxygen therapy in San Francisco, but we are here to ensure you are cared for every step of the way.