- EBOO passes your blood through a closed circuit where it meets a controlled oxygen–ozone mix, and returns it continuously, for about an hour.
- The strongest study is a 28-patient controlled trial in peripheral artery disease, where skin lesions regressed more than with intravenous prostacyclin.
- Almost all the clinical work comes from one Italian group, and it is not for everyone: G6PD deficiency and pregnancy are among the exclusions.
Patients searching for EBOO in Colombia find two kinds of pages: dense technical papers, or centers abroad selling it. Neither explains the basics. This one tries to.
EBOO stands for extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation. Blood is drawn through a closed circuit, passed through a gas-exchange membrane where it meets a controlled oxygen–ozone mixture, and returned to the body in a continuous loop.
The technique was developed in Italy in the 1990s and described in the nephrology literature as an evolution of ozone autohaemotherapy (Di Paolo et al., 2000).
The difference with that older method is volume. Autohaemotherapy treats roughly 250 mL of blood. EBOO circulates up to 4,800 mL in about one hour of extracorporeal circulation (Di Paolo, Gaggiotti & Galli, 2005). A standard course in the published protocols is fourteen one-hour sessions over seven weeks.
What a session involves in Medellín
It starts before the procedure, with a medical consultation and laboratory work. Because the circuit requires anticoagulation and a stable circulation, the assessment looks at coagulation, haemoglobin, kidney and liver function, and current medication.
During the session two venous accesses are placed, one to draw and one to return. Blood passes through the membrane in a closed, single-use circuit and comes back continuously. It lasts about an hour, with the patient awake, lying down and monitored throughout.
Afterwards most people return to normal activity the same day. Hydration and rest are recommended, and mild fatigue over the following hours is the sensation most commonly described.
How it works, and where the evidence stops
Ozone is not a drug that gets delivered to an organ. That is the most common misunderstanding. When it meets plasma it reacts immediately with lipids and antioxidants, producing short-lived messengers that act as a brief, controlled oxidative stimulus. The working hypothesis is that this mild stress engages the body’s own antioxidant and immune-regulating responses (Di Paolo, Gaggiotti & Galli, 2005).
That stimulus is measurable: a four- to fivefold rise in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and a proportional fall in plasma protein thiols, with no appreciable destruction of red cells. Those are markers that the signal occurred — not measures of clinical improvement.
The strongest clinical study is a controlled trial in peripheral artery disease: twenty-eight patients randomised to EBOO or to intravenous prostacyclin (Di Paolo et al., 2005). Skin lesions in the EBOO group regressed significantly more, and pain, itching, heavy legs and general well-being also differed in its favour. No side effects were recorded across 210 treatments.
One result complicates the easy explanation: blood flow in the limbs did not change measurably in either group. The authors concluded that some other mechanism must account for what they saw.
Now the limits. Nearly all of the clinical literature comes from a single Italian research group, in small series. The biological effects are documented; the range of conditions in which EBOO produces a measurable clinical benefit is not settled, and larger independent trials would be needed to settle it.
Who should not receive it
EBOO is not for everyone. Ozone-based procedures are contraindicated, or require specialist clearance, in:
- G6PD deficiency (favism), because of the risk of haemolysis
- uncontrolled hyperthyroidism
- active bleeding, severe anaemia, low platelets or anticoagulation that cannot be safely managed
- pregnancy and breastfeeding
- unstable cardiovascular disease
Where EBOO is offered in Medellín, it is offered as a supportive procedure within a medical plan — never as a replacement for established treatment, and only after an individual assessment.
- Ask what EBOO has been studied for: the controlled evidence is in peripheral artery disease.
- Expect a consultation and blood work first; coagulation, haemoglobin, kidney and liver function decide whether the circuit is safe for you.
- Tell the doctor about G6PD deficiency, thyroid disease, bleeding problems, blood thinners or pregnancy before anything is scheduled.
One controlled trial of 28 patients with peripheral artery disease (Siena, 2005) found better regression of skin lesions with EBOO than with prostacyclin, and the biological effects of the ozone stimulus are documented. Nearly all of the clinical work comes from a single Italian group, and larger independent trials are still needed.
- Extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation (EBOO) in man: Preliminary report · The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2000
- Extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation (EBOO): A controlled trial in patients with peripheral artery disease · The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2005
- Extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation: Clinical and biological implications of ozone therapy · Redox Report, 2005
Questions
Is EBOO the same as ozone therapy?
It is one form of it. Ozone autohaemotherapy treats roughly 250 mL of blood; EBOO circulates up to 4,800 mL through a closed circuit in about one hour.
How many sessions does a course involve?
The published protocols use fourteen one-hour sessions over seven weeks. The number in your case is decided after the medical assessment.
Who should not receive EBOO?
People with G6PD deficiency (favism), uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, active bleeding, severe anaemia, low platelets or anticoagulation that cannot be safely managed, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or unstable cardiovascular disease. Some of these require specialist clearance and others rule it out.
Can EBOO replace my current treatment?
No. Where it is offered in Medellín, EBOO is a supportive procedure within a medical plan, never a replacement for established treatment, and only after an individual assessment.
Is stem cell therapy approved by the FDA?
Stem cell therapy is not approved by the FDA, but in Colombia it is legal.