Special Report – Veterans and HBOT
The unfortunate truth is that countless veterans, just like Simon, repeatedly battle suicidal thoughts. They struggle from their battle wounds and PTSD with each passing minute.
These brave souls protected our country, and it’s beyond time that we protect their future. Thankfully there is hope in HBOT.
Watch the 30 Minute Special Report
Veterans are at especially high risk for suicide due to the injuries they’ve endured and the horrific images they’ve seen. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) rank high among the reasons why veterans are choosing death over living. But there is hope for new beginnings. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is helping war veterans turn their lives around.
In this Special Report, Edward diGirolamo, host of the HBOT News Network, dives into HBOT and what the state of North Carolina is doing to help get veterans this life saving therapy. We hear from Melissa Spain, CEO of the Community Foundation of NC East, as she discusses their involvement to get NC Senate Bill 442 passed; a bill that has appropriated funds to provide HBOT to NC veterans who suffer from TBI and PTSD.
We are also greeted by Elena Schertz, Nurse Practitioner at Extivita-RTP in Durham, NC. Elena gives us a tour of their state-of-the-art clinic where soldiers are receiving HBOT. One of their veteran patients, Simon LeMay, agreed to share his story with us to help spread the hope that exists within the world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Meet a true American Hero, Simon LeMay, retired Sergeant Major with 25-years in the US Marine Corps. LeMay was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan five times during a ten year period. He lost his best friend in battle and witnessed horrific incidents of violence and injury among his Marine bothers. Although LeMay was blessed to avoid serious physical injury to himself, he did come home with an invisible wound of war.
IED exposures left him with a TBI and visions of war and death haunted him with PTSD. Simon turned to alcohol and pain pills to ease the emotional and physical pain, leading him down a dark tunnel of depression and suicidal thoughts that almost ended in demise.
After hearing about it from friends, his loving family talked him into trying hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help heal his brain injuries. LeMay received treatment at Extivita- RTP in Durham, NC and states after 20-30 treatments he started realizing that he was once again “starting to feel emotion,” with the sense of worthlessness disappearing and the suicidal ideation being no more.
“I started looking forward to the next day,” Simon exclaims.
Also included in this Special Report is a raw and personal interview with Cate, Simon’s wife. Today she is thrilled with Simon’s progress, even calling hyperbaric oxygen therapy “God sent.”
Guest
Organizations
For more information about the guest organizations featured in this special, please click on the links.
North Carolina Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinic
Extivita RTP
NC HBOT for Veterans Program
The Community Foundation of NC East
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Clinical Trial – Incidence of Postoperative Delirium in Cancer Patients After Laparoscopic Surgery in Trendelenburg Position
Postoperative delirium is an acute mental syndrome that is caused by diffuse cerebral
dysfunction resulting from the action of predisposing and precipitating factors acting
together. It is associated with an increase in mortality and postoperative morbidity and
prolongs the period of hospitalization of the patient Videolaparoscopic surgery has been
increasingly used as a therapeutic and diagnostic method. In order to have a good
visualization of the anatomical structures on which it will act, it is necessary to introduce
gas into the cavity, a mandatory component known as pneumoperitoneum. This technique gives
special characteristics for the conduction of anesthesia, since the positive intra-abdominal
pressure results in changes in the patient’s physiology. Some types of laparoscopic surgery
require the position of Trendelenburg for better visualization of the operative field. Among
the changes related to this position are the increase in cardiac output and intracranial
pressure.
In order to optimize the anesthetic procedure, anesthetic blocks have been increasingly used,
especially the spinal. The association of general anesthesia with spinal anesthesia, followed
by its contraindications is advantageous, because lower doses of anesthetic agents are
necessary for the maintenance of general anesthesia. This association results in an earlier
awakening, a reduction of nausea / vomiting, postoperative pain, length of hospital stay,
cost effectiveness and greater patient satisfaction. As a disadvantage, by associating
general anesthesia with spinal anesthesia, patients become susceptible to the adverse events
of spinal anesthesia. Among these, the most common are headache, hypotension, nausea and
vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention and tremor. Performing spinal anesthesia with opioids
alone, without the use of local anesthetic is also possible, with morphine being the most
used. The benefit of this variation of technique is analgesia for a period of 12 to 24 hours,
without the cardiovascular consequences resulting from the action of the local anesthetic.
JUSTIFICATION: There are no studies in the literature evaluating The objective of this study
is to analyze if the anesthetic techniques employed, general anesthesia or general anesthesia
associated with subarachnoid block, for videolaparoscopic oncologic surgeries, in
Trendelenburg position, differ in relation to the incidence of delirium in the postoperative
period.