Nov. 27, 2024

Nicole Todd’s interest in a treatment that uses pure oxygen to heal damaged tissues more effectively came when she saw how it helped an older friend.

Her husband, Dr. Dan Todd, had used it in his practice for head and neck cancer patients for several decades, but now Todd witnessed it firsthand with her friend and then using it for her own inflammatory issues.

And daughter Jada Hieb decided during her education as a nurse practitioner that hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, needed more attention than the “10 minutes” it received because of its benefits.

That’s why the family came together and started Midwest Hyperbarics, recently opening an office at 6300 S. Lyncrest Ave.

“The three of us coming together, it made sense for us to do this,” Hieb said. “We were the perfect people to join forces.”

During HBOT, a body’s oxygen saturation increases by 1,200 percent, Hieb said. Under pressure, the oxygen is delivered deeper into the tissues and hard-to-reach areas. It helps with angiogenesis, or the development of new blood vessels.

“It forces your body to grow new blood vessels, so the areas with poor profusion get the benefit,” Hieb said. “It increases your immunity by boosting white blood cells.”

The oxygen-rich environment speeds up tissue repair and promotes faster recovery from injuries, surgeries and chronic conditions by enhancing cell regeneration and reducing swelling.

Hyperbaric therapy can be used for wounds that don’t heal, skin grafts, tissue damage from radiation, carbon monoxide poisoning, brain injuries, concussions, Crohn’s disease, Lyme disease, spinal cord injuries and general health and wellness. While HBOT is not a fountain of youth, it will help reduce the effects of aging, Hieb said.

Todd saw how HBOT helped a family friend suffering with ulcerative colitis. The friend’s family installed a soft oxygen chamber in her home, and Todd will help her friend in and out of the chamber.

While a couple of small independent clinics in Sioux Falls offer hyperbaric therapy, Midwest Hyperbarics will focus on it exclusively. It plans to expand the number of chambers it offers to be able to treat eight patients at one time, Hieb said. One chamber that is being shipped to the clinic will allow three patients to be treated at the same time.

“That’s monumental for patients requiring assistance,” Hieb said.

She supplied this information on the process: “At the start of the treatment session, oxygen immediately begins to circulate, and the pressure gradually increases. The patient will generally start to feel a fullness sensation in the ears, similar to ascending or descending in an airplane. This fullness should only last about 10 to 15 minutes, and an experienced hyperbaric technician will guide the patient to relieve any ear pressure.

“Once treatment pressure is reached, patients relax and just breathe normally. Near the end of the treatment session, the hyperbaric technician will gradually decrease the pressure in the chamber, a process that lasts about 10 minutes. During this decompression stage, it is common for patients to experience a slight popping sensation in the ears as a result of the change in pressure.”

Few risks are associated with the treatment, Hieb said.

The number of treatments depends on what condition is present, she said. The full protocol is 20 to 40 sessions for the best benefit, coming in three to four times a week for the first 20 sessions.

For general health and wellness and for sports performance, patients come in as needed.

“The more sessions you do closer together, the better results you receive,” Hieb said.

Several athletes already have come in for HBOT at Midwest Hyperbarics. The target focus is on concussion therapy.

“This is the only treatment available to counteract the brain damage that occurs,” Hieb said. “It’s widely used through professional sports leagues.”

Dr. Dan Todd will continue his practice with Midwest ENT & Allergy full time in addition to his work at Midwest Hyperbarics.