Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Center
At Elisha and Rambam Hospitals
The first hyperbaric oxygen treatment center in Israel which started to provide Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to civilians and also included a Wound Care Clinic was established in 1996 and was affiliated to Elisha and Rambam Hospitals.
The Elisha & Rambam Hospitals Hyperbaric & Diving Medical Center is located on the Carmel Mountain in Haifa and is one of the four medical centers in Israel that provides Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for a wide spectrum of medical conditions.
This hyperbaric oxygen treatment center provides treatments to the local population from Netanya in the center of Israel to the northern spot of the country and also offers hyperbaric oxygen treatment for foreign citizens, both children and adults. The facility is a modern unit fully equipped with state of the art equipment and a highly professional medical team, whilst offering a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.
Elisha & Rambam Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Center: patients receive specialized care from a multi-disciplinary multi-lingual team with expertise in Internal Medicine, Vascular and Reconstructive Surgery, Hyperbaric Medicine and Orthopedics.
Rambam's International Medical Services Department And Overseas Patients
Medical services are available in every area of healthcare, in the medical departments, imaging facilities and laboratories of the Rambam Healthcare Campus. These services include consultations and second opinions, evaluations and the entire range of medical treatments, all provided in a prompt and efficient manner, on an outpatient basis or with hospitalization.
Rambam's International Medical Services Department cares for every detail related to an overseas patient's stay and treatment. The department's multi-lingual staff is attentive to the special needs of patients in a foreign environment this personalized service accompanies the patient all through the process, beginning as the visit is being planned, continuing throughout the patient's stay at Rambam and after their return home. The department staff can even provide assistance with ground transportation, hotel accommodations and visas.
A Wound Care Clinic At Elisha & Rambam Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Center
A Wound Care Clinic operates within the center for Hyperbaric Medicine providing treatment for non-healing wounds. Patients with wounds non-responsive to conventional treatment, receive specialized care from a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in Internal Medicine, Vascular and Reconstructive Surgery, Hyperbaric Medicine and Orthopedics.
15 indications for hyperbaric oxygenation treatments are included in the Israeli National Health Act, and are funded by the government healthcare program. Among mentioned conditions the most often treated are:
- Non-healing wounds, ulcers as a result of diabetes, vascular disease and vasculitis
- Osteomyelitis, chronic and refractory
- Soft and bone tissues radiation lesions (Radiation necrosis, osteoradionecrosis, radiation cystitis, radiation proctitis etc)
- Compromised skin flaps and grafts
- Malignant otitis externa
There are also so-called "off-label" conditions which treated at Elisha & Rambam Hospitals Hyperbaric & Diving Medical Center as well, among them are:
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment following stroke
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment following minor to severe head injuries
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and rehabilitation following nonhealing bone fractures
- Avascular Necrosis of the head of the femur
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment of children and adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Dr. Melamed - The Founder And Director Of The Hyperbaric & Diving Medical Center
The founder and the director of the Hyperbaric & Diving Medical Center is Dr. Yehuda Melamed, M.D, who graduated from Tel Aviv University Medical School in 1971.
He served 29 years in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), 20 years in the Israeli Navy as the physician of the "Seal" unit and the Commanding officer of the Israeli Naval Medical Institute (INMI) until he retired in 1995 as Navy Captain.dk Dr. Melamed was certified as a Diving Physician by the Israeli and the US Navy and in Aviation Medicine by the Israeli Air Force.
Dr. Melamed was certified in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine from Chiati University in Italy, and as a professional diver at Fort Bovisan in England and the Commercial Diving Center in the USA. He was one of the founders of the Israeli Underwater Association and the Israeli Society of Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine.
Dr. Melamed was also one of the founders of the Hyperbaric Center in the Eilat Hospital, , and the Hyperbaric Unit at Asaf Harofe Hospital.fk Dr. Melamed is a member of a number of international professional societies, and an adviser to the Israeli Health Ministry. Under his command, the INMI was recognized by the Health Minister as a National Institute, and the INMI received the Elkalas award for special clinical and scientific work in 1993.
Dr. Melamed has written over 130 scientific papers and chapters in books, received the Craig Hoffman Safety Award in 1990 from the Under Sea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Admiralty of the Israel Navy, and the Boerema Award for exceptional contribution in the field of Hyperbaric Medicine in 1994.
