Intermountain Press Release

Provo, Utah—A new eight-person hyperbaric chamber at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center is now bringing the power of 100 percent oxygen to Utah County residents in need of its healing power. The chamber, which is the first in the county, began treating patients in late May.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the process of providing 100 percent oxygen to damaged body tissues under pressure to promote the healing of the tissues, reduce swelling and improve circulation. Patients receive pure oxygen at the same pressure as diving 33 to 66 feet below sea level in a special chamber. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven beneficial in treating wounds that have difficulty healing, carbon monoxide poisoning, tissue damage from radiation, wounds caused by crushing injuries and bone and soft tissue infections.

The hyperbaric chamber at Utah Valley Regional is a nine-foot diameter, six-atmosphere, double-lock chamber. It is the third chamber is the state and the only one located between Salt Lake City and St. George, which means residents from Lehi to Santaquin as well as throughout southwestern Utah will have the healing power of hyperbaric medicine located closer to home.

That shorter travel time can mean a great deal considering most treatments take place every day for several weeks. Just ask Richard and Joann Losee, of Provo. Several years ago, Richard suffered from septic shock and the only medication available to treat it came with the side effect of loss of blood supply and circulation to his extremities. As his feet and parts of his fingers turned black, doctors recommended amputation. Luckily, the Losees learned about hyperbaric medicine before that had to happen.

Tests of the circulation in Richard's feet showed it increased by 300 percent when he was inside a hyperbaric chamber. Because of that, the Losees made a six-hour trip to a chamber in Bountiful every day for more than three months until Richard was able to continue healing on his own. Although he did lose half of his toes, part of his fingers and part of one heel, Richard started walking again two years after the treatments and is able to continue playing his saxophone in a big band.

"There is no way that he would have ever healed without the hyperbaric treatments," said Joann Losee.