A new Issaquah wound care clinic has ambitious plans to lead the country in research using hyperbaric chambers to treat soldiers with traumatic brain injuries.
Restorix Health launched Dec. 13 along SR 900 across the street from the Issaquah Park and Ride.
“There is nothing out there like this,” said Dr. Tommy Love, one of the nation’s top hyperbaric chamber doctors, who decided to join the new clinic for the opportunity to do research.
Other projects on the wish list include testing whether the chambers can help stroke patients, sports injuries and even autism.
Up until now, there haven’t been many opportunities for hyperbaric research because oxygen can’t be patented, said Mike Ulvestad, the clinic’s director.
While the key founders, Ulvestad and CEO John Fallou share a concern for helping injured soldiers recover from brain injuries, the former Microsoft employees think the research could also prove itself to be profitable for business.
So much so that they plan to open 20 similar clinics throughout the country with Issaquah as the flagship.
“We see an opportunity to do good in this industry,” Ulvestad said.
In the Issaquah clinic, six hyperbaric chambers, looking like tanning beds, line the walls. It’s the biggest assembly of the large single-person chambers in the country.
Typically, hyperbaric chambers are found in hospital basements, the only place that can support their weight, but Restorix had an upper floor reinforced so patients could enjoy natural light.
Natural light and spacious chambers play a role in making the medical clinic feel more like a spa.
Oversized sliding glass doors lead the way to exam rooms, and infusion centers include leather reclining chairs and big-screen TVs.
While exciting research in hyperbarics caught the attention of Fallou and Ulvestad, a clinic for helping treat chronic wounds is the heart of the operation.
In addition to using the chambers to help improve wounds, Restorix also has an infusion therapy room for patients who struggle with regularly taking IV medications at home.
Having the space also allows doctors to better monitor the medication and it creates a social environment for otherwise house-bound patients.
Fallou expects most of the research will be funded through grants, the Restorix Foundation or research groups who’ve won grants.
Treating PTSD with oxygen
Called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), it’s most popularly known in helping deep-sea divers and Air Force pilots recover from decompression illness, or what’s called “the bends.”
The sealed chambers are filled with pure oxygen and pressurized. Patients typically receive 30 treatments daily over a few weeks.
In wound care, HBOT is also proven to kill certain bacteria and shorten recovery time, said Dr. Love.
A popular example was when Michael Jackson received treatments after getting a burn during the filming of a commercial. He was later seen in a tabloid magazine posing in a hyperbaric chamber.
While HBOT is commonly used in countries throughout the world to treat serious burns, U.S. burn centers shy away from the chambers because of concerns about their sterility and having to regularly move critically ill patients, Love said.
While Restorix patients are expected to come with a variety of ailments, wound treatments are expected to fill the chambers at first.
The hope is to win grant money to do more.
Fallou, Restorix CEO, was inspired by case study that showed how soldiers who suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD saw an increase in cognitive abilities after receiving hyperbaric treatments.
Most TBI specialists have recently come to accept that PTSD is more likely caused by trauma than by the experiences soldiers have while in battle, Love said.
Although a research project hasn’t been announced yet, one of Restorix’s first projects will likely test if HBOT treatments can help improve PTSD and cognitive problems, Ulvestad said.
New federal legislation is expected to pay for soldiers recovering from brain trauma injuries to receive HBOT treatments. By funding the treatment for soldiers, it’s expected to open the door to more research.
Today about 16 percent of soldiers are undeployable, mostly because of brain trauma and PTSD, Love said. “This is some exiting research.”
Restorix Health
1740 N.W. Maple Ave., Suite 100, Issaquah
425-453-0600
