The Patient Experience

After undergoing gender affirmation surgery, or in some cases, before and after your surgery, your surgeon may refer you to 8th Element Hyperbaric Medicine for hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce the risk of complications, speed healing, and produce a superior outcome.

When you meet with our professional medical team, we take all the time you need to orient you to our services, what to expect during your treatment and to answer all of your questions.

A Compassionate Team of Medical Professionals Dedicated to You As An Individual

Our specially trained team goes above and beyond in providing personal support and care throughout your course of treatment. As every HBOT treatment takes about two hours to complete, we have established a comfortable, safe space.

Rather than being treated in a small and uncomfortable hyperbaric chamber built for a single person, we have created an environment specifically for people recovering from gender affirmation surgery. Our team is compassionate and respectful, and we work with you to provide the support you need throughout your recovery.

You Are Never Alone We Are With You From Start to Finish

There will always be a hyperbaric technician who stays with you throughout the treatment, and a technician is outside the chamber operating the equipment from the control room. There is always a provider on-site during the treatment to monitor your progress. Each treatment session takes about two hours to complete, during which you can chat with other patients, watch TV, read, write or rest.

We understand that the healing process can be emotional, stressful, and full of hope, worry, and excitement about the future.

Our team is compassionate, understanding, and always ready to provide support.

Enhanced Surgical Results with HBOT

With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the results of gender affirmation surgery are dramatically enhanced, and the risks of complications significantly reduced. We believe you should be able to enjoy every aspect of your desired life without concerns about unusual scars, infections, or postoperative problems requiring revision surgery. As the first treatment center in the USA specifically created to provide hyperbaric medicine with gender affirmation surgery, we are proud of our high clinical success rate and the remarkable improvement HBOT produces in enhancing both cosmetic and functional results.

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Boutique Services, Specifically for Patients Undergoing Gender Affirmation Surgery

We offer boutique services specifically geared to the transgender community. Many of our patients are treated twice per day. Between treatments in our custom environment, we have a comfortable space where you can take a rest, recharge, nap, or eat. We can arrange various types of support, such as behavioral and mental health counseling when needed.

We offer a telemedicine room so you can speak to your surgeon or other medical provider. The best results are achieved with daily treatments, so we have done all we can to make the experience pleasant and comfortable. We are proud to be of service to the LGBTQ+ community and to be practicing in a field of medicine that can only be described as inspiring.

The Benefits: What to Expect

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivered after gender affirmation surgery is producing the most successful flaps and grafts we have seen. Gender affirmation surgery comes with challenges. As you move tissue, it interrupts about 90% of the blood supply, which poses a risk of some aspect of the surgery requiring medical intervention or revision surgery.

Unfortunately, sometimes the failures are catastrophic. We believe your journey should be safer, and avoiding these risks is a critical aspect of the success of your surgery. Before hyperbaric treatments, the national average showed that a significant percentage of patients required two or more revision surgeries, at a high cost, both financially and emotionally.

At 8th Element Hyperbaric Medicine, we are deeply committed to helping our patients experience a faster, more successful recovery. We help you avoid the risk of complications and enjoy superior surgical outcomes. You are invited to meet with us and discover a center built specifically to support the transgender community.

The Procedure

If you have been referred by your surgeon to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you are probably uncertain about what to expect. Searching for answers online can be frustrating and confusing, but you should know how we function at 8th Element Hyperbaric Medicine – the first and only treatment center in the USA established exclusively for those undergoing gender affirmation surgery. Our approach is geared to provide boutique, personalized services with compassion, understanding, and ultimate comfort and safety.

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Once we receive a referral from your surgeon, you will receive a call from one of the friendly staff at our clinic. We will speak with you and schedule your first appointment. Prior to your initial visit, our staff will send you a link to our online patient intake site. This HIPAA-approved secured portal will provide you with the ability to answer most of the questions you are typically asked during an initial evaluation.

In doing so, you will have answered those questions in advance of your initial visit, thus making your first visit significantly shorter and more comfortable. When you come to our boutique facility, we perform a set of the usual medical tasks, such as making copies of your insurance and photo ID. You will then meet with one of our kind, compassionate, Certified Nurse Practitioners to review your medical history and perform a physical exam.

Many patients undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy both prior to and following gender affirmation surgery to promote superior surgical results. If possible, we will deliver your first treatment the same day as your initial appointment. We will discuss your prescribed treatment plan, so you completely understand what to expect with regard to your course of therapy.

office plant where recovery treatments for gender affirmation surgery san in francisco takes place

Your Equipment Fitting: Our HBOT Delivery System

Our delivery system has been customized to provide the most pleasant treatment experience. It involves a custom clear plastic hood that you will wear so you can breathe 100% oxygen. You will be individually fitted with your headgear, so it is comfortable for you. This headgear will be yours throughout your treatment course. Your personal custom-fitted headgear will be sanitized and stored between your treatments by your hyperbaric technician.

Orientation

A member of our team will introduce you to the series of actions you can expect when under our care. These include checking your blood pressure, temperature, and pulse before your treatments and answering a short list of questions. At your first treatment (and before and after each treatment if you are diabetic), we will check your blood glucose level.

Preparations for HBOT treatment

You will change into scrubs that we provide, and you will place your personal belongings and clothing in a secured locker. You then enter the treatment area with our hyperbaric technicians, who are ready to guide you through your treatment.

They will help you get comfortably seated and will take all the time you need to address any needs or answer questions. We are responsive and will never rush you through the process – we want you to be completely comfortable and confident.

You Have the Support of Our Team Throughout Your Treatment

One of our caring, friendly hyperbaric technicians stays in the treatment room (chamber) with you throughout your HBOT treatment, and a technician is outside the chamber constantly monitoring our state-of-the-art equipment. One of our trained providers is always there, onsite, to monitor your progress.

Rest, Recover, and Restore

Your HBOT treatment session will take, from start to finish, about two hours. While breathing the healing oxygen, you are free to watch TV, read, write, or spend the time taking a nap. The time passes pleasantly until your treatment is completed. Once completed, you will return to our clinic to check your blood pressure, temperature, and pulse, and for first-time treatments or patients with diabetes, blood glucose will be checked again. You always have access to our responsive team members, who can address any questions or concerns.

Your Course of Therapy: Customized for You

Your course of therapy will be scheduled in advance. For your convenience, you can take a fresh pair of scrubs home with you, so you can come to your next appointment prepared if you wish. We understand that every person has unique scheduling challenges. To make your treatments more convenient, we are open seven days a week and will schedule your HBOT treatments to suit your schedule and lifestyle.