These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This service is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
Ready to try HBOT? Book your first session online.
HBOT Before Surgery: The Science of Pre-Conditioning
Surgery
Pre-Op
Recovery
Hyperbarics
HBOT
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. OxyRenew provides hyperbaric oxygen sessions for general wellness, not to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Hyperbaric chambers are FDA-cleared medical devices only for certain medical conditions, and OxyRenew does not provide medical treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about any health concern.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This service is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
Ready to try HBOT? Book your first session online.
When planning for surgery in Los Angeles (whether it's a cosmetic procedure in Beverly Hills or an orthopedic repair), most patients focus entirely on the recovery period after the operation. Some surgeons and patients also use Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) before surgery. This process, known as "surgical pre-conditioning," is proposed to prepare tissue for the stress of surgery and is being studied for whether it improves outcomes.
What is Surgical Pre-Conditioning?
Surgery is a controlled trauma. Even skilled procedures disrupt blood vessels, causing immediate tissue hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and inflammation. Pre-conditioning with HBOT involves a session in a hard-shell chamber before your surgery, with the timing set with your surgeon. Research by Friedman et al. (2019) found that HBOT preconditioning reduced complication rates from 32.6% to 8.4% in abdominoplasty patients. HBOT is not FDA-cleared for surgical recovery, and the evidence so far is preliminary.
The aim is to raise tissue oxygen levels before surgery. Higher tissue oxygen before surgery is proposed to give cells a reserve during the procedure and in early recovery.
What pre-surgery HBOT is being studied for
Immune cell function: Your immune system's white blood cells use oxygen to fight bacteria, a process called the "oxidative burst." This is one proposed reason HBOT is studied around surgery.
Bruising and swelling: HBOT induces vasoconstriction (tightening of blood vessels) while simultaneously raising the oxygen dissolved in the blood. This combination is proposed to limit fluid leakage into tissues (edema) without starving them of oxygen, and less post-op swelling has been proposed as a possible effect.
Tissue health: In procedures like facelifts, tummy tucks, or breast reconstruction, blood supply is often compromised. Pre-oxygenated tissue is being studied for whether it tolerates this stress better and whether that lowers the rate of necrosis (tissue death) or delayed wound healing.
The Importance of Pressure: Why Soft Chambers Aren't Enough
Most published HBOT protocols use 2.0 ATA or higher. Soft-shell chambers, commonly found in wellness spas, typically max out at 1.3 ATA.
At OxyRenew, our hard-shell chamber operates at 2.0 ATA. At this pressure more oxygen dissolves directly into the blood plasma, so more oxygen can reach poorly perfused tissue. Each session is supervised by a Certified Hyperbaric Technician (CHT), and our sit-down chamber allows you to relax with an iPad during treatment.
How surgical clients schedule sessions
Surgical clients typically book one or two sessions before surgery and five to eight as soon as possible after, sometimes the same day if the surgeon allows.
Before surgery: One session or two sessions, with the timing set with your surgeon.
After surgery: Resuming sessions once your surgeon clears it.
Timing varies with your specific procedure and your surgeon's recommendations. We encourage you to discuss HBOT with your surgical team.
Prepare for Your Surgery with OxyRenew
If you are considering HBOT around your surgery, discuss it with your surgeon first.
