Before becoming an accomplished orthopedic surgeon and medical director, Dr. Emeka Ofobike was simply passionate about science. As a child, he was fascinated by how things worked mechanically, often dismantling toys and gadgets to resemble them and see if they would function again.
Influenced by his tennis player father, Emeka also grew up as an athlete. After his father tore the cartilage in his knee, it was 16-year-old Emeka driving him to the surgery center and watching the procedure from a screen in a separate room. From there, his interest in orthopedics was sparked.
“I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” says Emeka. “Six weeks later, he was back on the tennis court and I knew that’s what I wanted to do for my career—help active people get back to being active.”
Emeka went on to earn his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, completed his residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center, and served as a surgeon in the U.S. Navy. In 2019, fellow Navy veteran Dr. Michele Cox founded the first Vessel IV Bar in New Mexico, and encouraged Emeka to bring it to Austin.
He immediately dived into the literature, driven once more by his father, who had years before been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s. Committed to education, Emeka strives to make effective therapies accessible and eliminate the misconceptions that come with them.
In 2020, Vessel’s Cedar Park location opened, expanding from just vitamin IVs and shots to more comprehensive holistic care. Cutting-edge services consist of hormone replacement, stem cell and PRP treatments, biohacking treatments, and CBD IVs to support sleep and immunity. Vessel even has the innovative wellness technology of the BioCharger, which delivers subtle, natural energies directly to your cells to optimize cellular function and allow your body to heal.
“Our choices of services are inspired by the knowledge that healthy aging is possible if we help our bodies do what they were designed to do: heal and repair,” says Emeka. “Health and wellness is an ongoing practice. It’s forward-looking, not, ‘Oh, I’m sick or broken and need to be fixed.’ We’re looking for people to come in and establish that ongoing practice to maintain their health and wellness.”
Emeka and his team of licensed medical professionals—currently four RNs and an EMT—offer special weekly discounts to support the community. These include Heroes Appreciation Day on Tuesdays, IV Happy Hour on Wednesdays, and Teacher Appreciation Day on Thursdays.
“I’ve had several clients with debilitating knee or shoulder pain who have returned after stem cell or shockwave therapy reporting that they are pain free and back to their recreational activities. This always brings me back to why I got into orthopedic medicine in the first place,” says Emeka. “But I would say the most rewarding experience so far has been one of our BioCharger clients with cancer reporting back to us after three months of treatment saying that his scans were clear and he was in remission. We were all celebrating that day.”
Whether it’s reaching goals for weight, activity, or overall wellness, Emeka takes great pride in enabling clients to achieve true balance through customized treatment plans.
“Our clients start to feel like family after a while,” says Emeka. “Vessel is a community of like-minded, healthy-lifestyle people. When clients strike up friendly conversations while getting IVs next to each other and share their wellness journeys, it’s a special connection.”
Discover more about Vessel Longevity + IV Bar’s treatments and specials at vessel-tx.com, and meet the team at 1717 Scottsdale Dr, Ste 120.