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South Pinellas County Edition Winter 2020

FEATURED ARTICLES

DAVID E. HALL, MDNATHAN R. EMERY, MDDENNIS C. RYCZEK, OD

T hough she spent the first two years of her life in the big city of Chicago, Illinois and later spent about six

years living out west in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Dellor Grant considers herself a Floridian. And rightfully so.

Now 67, Dellor has lived most of her life here in the Sunshine State, including the last 20, all of which have been devoted largely to serving as the business and o� ce manager for her daughter’s chiropractic practice.

“I work because I still enjoy working,” Dellor says. “But I’m pretty active, too. When I’m not working, I enjoy being on my bicycle, going to the beach or the theater, and I enjoy doing Pilates and things of that nature.”

For almost as long as she’s been managing her daughter’s practice, Dellor has also been battling some health issues. All of them, including a series of strokes in the optic nerve, have been related to her eyes.

“My vision problems began when I was diagnosed with narrow-angle glaucoma,”Dellor says of the disorder that occurs when a sudden build-up of � uid behind the colored portion of the eye, or iris, creates undo pressure that causes irrita-tion, pain and blurriness.

“That problem was eventually recti� ed, and in 2011, I had a condition called optic ischemic neuropathy,” Dellor continues. “� at’s a stroke in the optic nerve, and I actually had three of them, two in my left eye and one in my right.

“� e most recent was about three years ago this past April. � e therapy that was done to correct that was prednisone drops in my eye, but that ended up causing the lens to deteriorate very quickly.”

Seeing the SignsDellor’s lenses weren’t the only thing that deteriorated. As a result of the ischemic neuropathies, Dellor’s vision

deteriorated as well, to a point where she was left with massive blind spots in the lower half of each eye.

� ose blind spots and the eventual deterioration of her lenses created a visual nightmare for Dellor that made it di� cult for her to read and see clearly in the distance and at night. She also had trouble distinguishing the colors of tra� c lights. “� e discoloration of the lights got to the point where I eventually had to stop driving because it wasn’t safe for me to be operating a vehicle,” Dellor laments.

Prior to taking herself off the road, Dellor had been under the care of a retina specialist who recommended she visit an ophthalmologist who could better deter-mine the cause of the deterioration of her lenses and determine a treatment to repair it.

� e ophthalmologist she was advised to see is David E. Hall, MD, at Pasadena Eye Center in St. Petersburg. When Dellor � rst visited him, Dr. Hall had no trouble deter-mining the cause of her fast-deterioratinglenses and vision. It was cataracts.

“Rather advanced cataracts,” Dr. Hall con� rms. “When Dellor � rst came to see me, she could not see much of the eye chart at all. Perfect vision is 20/20, of course, but her vision was much worse. She was 20/100 in the right eye and 20/80 in the left eye.”

Cataracts develop naturally in about 90 percent of all people 65 or older, usually from a breakdown of the eye’s lens

� bers, a clumping of the eye’s proteins, or both. � ey typically cause blurred vision, an increase in sensitivity to light and a reduction in color vibrancy.

� ough cataracts usually develop slowly, they can be corrected quickly and easily through an outpatient procedure where the natural lens is removed and replaced with an arti� cial intraocular lens, or IOL.

Standard IOLs correct vision primarily for distance, but patients can also have one eye � xed for distance vision and the other corrected for reading, an option called monovision. A third option is multifocal IOLs.

Most multifocal IOLs work like bifocals and correct vision for distance and reading or close-up work, but there is now a new multifocal lens option that works like a trifocal lens and allows for distance, reading and intermediate vision to be corrected (See sidebar, page 4).

With a break of a week or two in between, physicians correct one eye at a time. An ultrasonic device is used to break up the cloudy, natural lens, which is then removed. Once that old lens is eliminated, the intraocular lens is implanted, perma-nently correcting the vision.

Cataract surgery restores fading vision

(see A Far Sight Better, page 4)

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is carried out using a scope with a camera, and the sur-geon operates while visualizing images from the camera on a computer screen.

“Once the incision is made, we insert a series of tubes to dilate the muscles that sit on top of the bone and create an opening in the lamina using a laser, small drill and a kerasin. We use rongeurs to remove the pieces of bone that were in the lamina.”

To relieve pressure on spinal nerves, Dr. St. Louis uses the kerasin to remove some of the bone surrounding the foramen where the nerves exit the spinal cord. � is is a foraminotomy. Because laminotomy and foramino-tomy are performed minimally invasively, recovery is short and complications are rare.

“I typically instruct patients to walk for an hour the day after surgery in three twenty-minute intervals,” Dr. St. Louis informs. “Total recovery time depends on the patient’s degree of activity. If they’re return-ing to a desk job, they can go back within a week. If they do manual labor, they must wait anywhere from two weeks to a month.”

Dr. St. Louis makes a point of noting that Physician Partners of America accepts Medicare, so patients with Medicare don’t have to pay large out-of-pocket sums for their laser surgery. � is is important because many of the conditions that require procedures such as laminotomy and foraminotomy are common in older adults.

“As people age, they often develop bone spurs that can pinch the spinal cord or spinal nerves and cause pain,” the doctor observes. “In addition, every nerve travels through a tunnel, and over time, that tunnel shrinks and puts pressure on the nerve. Laminotomy and foraminotomy remove the bone spurs and open up the tunnels, freeing the nerves and relieving pain.”

“Immediate Relief”Dr. St. Louis thoroughly explained what was causing Larry’s back and leg pain, and detailed how laser lami-notomy and foraminotomy would repair the problem. Larry agreed to undergo the procedures and was amazed by how quickly he noticed a di� erence in his condition.

“I felt immediate relief,” Larry enthuses. “And my recovery was very quick. I walked out of surgery with no pain in my back or down my legs. At � rst, I attributed most of the relief to the anesthesia, but the pain hasn’t returned. � ere’s zero pain now, when before it was a ten.”

Larry no longer su� ers with discomfort in his back or legs, so he’s able to perform his favorite activities. � ose include working in the garden, shades of his days on the ranch.

“My wife doesn’t call me a gardener,” Larry relates. “She calls me a landscaper because what I do requires a lot of physical activity. We walk daily as well. And I recently picked up an airbrush. I’ve been an artist all my life, so I’m moving into a di� erent level of art.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to boating and traveling. I had to cancel a couple of trips due to my back pain, but that’s all behind me now. I highly recom-mend Dr. St. Louis and his team at Physician Partners of America. � ey provided me with pain relief and in turn gave me my life back.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz. ke

JAMES ST. LOUIS, DOKEITH GIRTON, MD

James St. Louis, DO, earned his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He received his osteopathic medicine

degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, and completed his surgical training in the US Army and at Kennedy Medical Center in Cherry Hill, NJ. Dr. St. Louis is a member of many medical organizations including the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Medical Association and American Association of Physician Specialists.

L arry Solie grew up on a ranch, so he’s no stranger to responsibility and hard work out-doors. Every day, he toiled in the garden and cared for the horses. It was a natural transition

when he became executive director of a wilderness pro-gram for troubled teens.

“The program operated over a fifty-thousand- acre spread in Central Oregon,” Larry describes. “We worked with three hundred teens a year. � ey learned tracking and navigation skills, how to build � res with-out matches and many Native American-style ways of living in the wilderness.

“Before I took over that program, I was head-master at a school for troubled boys. During that time, I met the founder of the wilderness program – an ex-ranger who wanted help with his business. We formed an alliance to cross-train our kids, and I eventually bought his program.”

Larry expanded the program, which was featured on a television series in 2003. The show garnered national recognition for Larry’s program as well as the attention of larger organizations doing residential and wilderness-based programming. Larry left his program in the capable hands of one of those organizations and retired in 2006.

Unfortunately, all those years of working on the ranch and hiking and sleeping on the hard ground in the wilderness took a toll on Larry’s back. � at distress was compounded by damage done to his back during his military career.

“I served during the Six-Day War, and we got banged around on my ship quite a bit,” Larry recalls. “When my

ship was torpedoed, I su� ered an injury to my spine that didn’t show up until later. Couple that with the

walking and lifting I did, and the strain on my back really got bad.

“The first symptom I noticed was weakness in my right leg,

followed by numbness and cramping in both legs. I also experienced pretty

intense pain in my back and down my left leg. � ere were

stabbing, sharp pains, then there were dull pains. It ran the gamut, but the pain was a ten on a scale of one to ten. If I lifted something, I could guarantee I’d be in pain for

days. I’m a very active person. It was di� cult for me to just sit still.

“My wife and I like to go boat-ing and travel, and I draw and paint outside, but with a bad back, I didn’t

do much but sit on ice and take pain pills. It got to the point that my wife

said, Look, I want to travel, but if you want to sit here in pain, I’ll

get you a subscription to the newspaper. � at prompted

me to seek treatment.”Larry already had

an idea where he’d go for help with his bad

back. His daughter worked for Physician Partners of America, and Larry

knew their surgeons performed minimally invasive laser spine surgery. Larry made an appointment and met with Dr. James St. Louis, director of the practice’s Minimally Invasive Spine Group.

Attachment Point “Upon evaluating Larry, I discovered that a dam-aged disc in his lower spine was pinching the nerves exiting through the openings in the spinal column, which are called foramen,” Dr. St. Louis explains. “Pressure on the nerves caused the pain in his back and numbness down his legs.

� e a� ected nerve is identi� ed after evaluating the patient’s symptoms and using MRI to pinpoint the speci� c nerve.

“To address Larry’s condition, I chose to perform two minimally invasive laser spine procedures, a lamino-tomy and a foraminotomy. � e goal of performing those procedures was to ease the pressure on Larry’s nerves and relieve his painful symptoms.”

A lamina is a part of the vertebral arch. A pair of laminae join with the bony projections that jut from the middle of the vertebrae, called spinous processes, to provide a point of attachment for the spine’s muscles and ligaments. A laminotomy is the removal of some of the lamina to relieve pressure from the bone pressing on the spinal cord.

“Minimally invasive laser laminotomy is performed through a half-inch incision in the back,” Dr. St. Louis explains. “� e incision is carefully placed with the help of a special x-ray called C-arm � uoroscopy. Laminotomy

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Physician Partners of America is committed to providing the highest levels of compassionate, patient-centered care possible. They have locations across Florida to serve you. To schedule a consultation with one of their pain management or minimally invasive laser spine specialists, call or visit one of their offi ces:

Keith Girton, MD, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a native of Columbus, Ohio and earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Girton completed a residency in family medicine at Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio and a residency in orthopedics at Fort Worth Affi liated Hospitals in Texas. During his second residency, he joined the US Air Force and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Illinois. He was honorably discharged.

To learn more, visit them online at PPOASpine.com

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Are your eyes dry, irritated or burning?Do you sometimes find it hard to focus your eyes when you have been reading

or using the computer for a long time?You may be able to participate in a research study to evaluate the safety and e� ectivenessof an investigational eye drop for the signs and symptoms described above.

This study involves 4 visits over 4 weeks

You may be eligible if: ✔ 18 or older ✔ In good health ✔ You are willing to refrain from using eye drops during the dosing period

✔ You are willing to refrain from using contact lenses during the dosing period

✔ Meet other requirements to participate in the study

Contact:Shettle Eye Research, Inc.

13113 66th Street NorthLargo, FL 33773

(727) 674-2500

Lee Shettle, DO, is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology. He received his bach-elor’s degree in Biology from Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, then earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following an internship at Sun Coast Osteopathic Hospital in Largo, FL, Dr. Shettle completed a

fellowship in neuro-ophthalmol-ogy at Michigan State University

in East Lansing. Dr. Shettle then completed an ophthalmol-ogy residency at the Detroit

Osteopathic Ophthalmology Consortium in Highland

Pa r k , M I , a n d a n advanced cataract and refractive surgery fel-lowship in Aurora, CO.

LEE SHETTLE, DO

E verybody sheds tears, and not just when they’re sad. Healthy eyes produce tears constantly, and when a person blinks,

tears spread across the surface of the eye, lubricating it. Tears also clear the eyes of debris and protect them from infection. But there are factors that can interfere with this natural process, and these factors can lead to a distressing condition called dry eye disease.

“Dry eye is a very common disease, sometimes referred to as an ocular surface disease,” notes Lee Shettle, DO, a board-certified ophthalmologist at Shettle Eye Research who conducts clinical research in partnership with ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies. “It’s a condition in which people do not produce enough quality tears to e� ectively lubricate their eyes.”

Dr. Shettle’s research aims at assisting ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies in developing new medical eye drops to treat various eye conditions such as glaucoma and ocular in� ammation. He is currently enrolling patients in a clinical study testing treatments for dry eye disease.

“Many people don’t even know they have dry eye disease, but they experience some of its symptoms,” observes Dr. Shettle, who has been practicing general ophthalmology in Largo since 1994. “It’s not until they’re examined by an eye doctor that they realize many of their symptoms are actually related to dry eye.

”� e most common symptoms are decreased vision or intermittent blurred vision, a dry sensation and a foreign body sensation. Some people experience eye fatigue, redness, double vision and glare, and some actually have tearing. If the eyes feel tired, they are dry.”

Dry eye disease is often a result of the glands around the eyes not making an adequate amount of tears. Some people with dry eye disease simply produce poor-quality tears that don’t adequately lubricate, protect and nourish the eyes.

In the latter case, the oil component of the tears is insu� cient for them to properly lubricate the eyes. � is is most often the result of blocked meibomian glands, which supply meibum, the oily substance that prevents evaporation of the tear � lm.

Several factors can lead to this disease.“The common causes of dry eye

disease include age, hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases, systemic medications, long-term contact lens wear, a history of LASIK® surgery, decreased blinking during computer use and blepharitis, which is an inflam-mation of the eyelid,” Dr. Shettle reports.

“In addition, dry climates and exposure to wind, smoke and other environmental condi-tions can also contribute to the development of dry eye disease. Due to the e� ect of hormonal changes, it affects women more often than men.”

Maintaining ComfortDry eye disease rarely leads to blindness, but it is a threat to clear, comfortable vision. Fortunately, there are a number of effective solutions for relieving the disease’s distressing, uncomfortable symptoms. Treatment for dry eye disease is typically done in stages, beginning with lifestyle changes aimed at improving the physical conditions surrounding the eyes.

“When patients visit their eye doctor with mild to moderate symptoms of dry eye disease, the doctor generally begins by suggesting the most conservative measures to help maintain a moist surface on the eye,” Dr. Shettle con� rms.

“� ese measures begin with simple but important lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and the regular use of sunglasses or other protection from

the elements. Patients who wear contact lenses may have to consider other options for correcting their vision, because the irritation of the corneas caused by the contact lenses can trigger dry eye disease.”

In addition, those who work at a computer for long hours may have to take breaks to interrupt their concentration on the screen or make a more conscious

effort to blink often enough to properly lubricate the eyes. A humidi� er may help counteract the dry air that accompanies air conditioning.

“When conser-v a t i v e m e a s u r e s fall short, there are different ways to treat dry eye disease,” Dr. Shettle offers. “The f i r s t th ing is use of regular arti� cial tears. � ere a r e m a n y t y p e s available, but some have the preservative benzalkonium chlo-

ride in them, and that tends to irritate the eyes. If people’s eyes are sensitive, I recommend preservative-free tears.

“If the dry eye symptoms don’t improve with tears alone, doctors gener-ally use collagen and silicone plugs, called punctal plugs, as the next treatment. � ey place these plugs in the eye ducts to block the drainage system. � e � uid will stay on the surface of the eye, which maintains lubrication during the day.”

Punctal plugs are typically placed during an outpatient procedure performed in the ophthalmologist’s o� ce under a microscope using a local anesthetic. It’s a simple procedure that takes the doctor about � ve minutes to perform.

“There’s a very low risk of infection with the plugs, and the collagen in them dissolves,” Dr. Shettle informs. “� e silicone plugs are also reversible. If there are any problems, they can simply be washed out.

“Sometimes, eye doctors also teach patients to massage their eyelids with their � ngertips, right where their eyelashes come out. Doctors instruct the patients to push on the eyelids and express the wax blocking the oil glands so oil can get back into the tears. After doing that, the tear � lm stays stable for about two hours.”

Another treatment option for dry eye disease is prescription eye drops such as RESTASIS® or Xiidra®. � ese drops contain immune system-suppressing medications, or cortico-steroids, that reduce in� ammation and prevent damage to the eye’s surface. It’s important to note that these medi-cations are only used when necessary. � ey are not � rst-line treatments.

“Most eye drops on the market work by replacing the oil component to help tears function appropriately, essen-tially creating a better quality of tear,” Dr. Shettle explains. “� e eye drops also calm the in� ammation around the eyes to keep the tears from evaporating o� the eye’s surface.

Terrible TwosomeDry eye disease is often associated with another eye disorder called blepharitis. � ey generally occur simultaneously and, if left untreated, can lead to permanent eyelid and tear gland dysfunction, as well as corneal damage. Dry eye disease and blepharitis are a terrible twosome a� ecting clear, comfortable vision.

Blepharitis is an infection of the eyelids and eyelashes. It is most commonly caused by an overgrowth of bacteria that live along the margins of the eyelids and at the base of the lashes. Not only do these bacteria cause the symptoms of blepharitis, they also produce substances that inflame the meibomian glands. “Symptoms of blepharitis are similar to those of dry eye,” Dr. Shettle reports. “� ey include itching, burning, tearing and a gritty foreign body sensation.” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. mkb

Clinical study investigates treatment for dry eye disease

For more information, visit them on the web at leeshettleeye.com

Page 2 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition South Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 3laser spine surgeryDry eye treatment

Please visit Pasadena Eye Center on the web at www.pasadenaeyecenter.com

David E. Hall, MD, is a board-certifi ed ophthalmologist. He graduated from the University of Mississippi and received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He completed his internship at Erlanger Hospital and his residency in ophthalmology at the University of

Tennessee. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of the Florida Medical Association, Pinellas County Medical Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons. He is also on staff at Palms of Pasadena Hospital and Pasadena Surgery Center.

Nathan R. Emery, MD, is a board-certifi ed ophthalmologist. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, before serving a two-year mission in England. Upon his return to the United States, he completed his medical degree at the Chicago Medical School in Illinois. He served his internship at Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago, and completed his residency at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Dr. Emery is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of the Pinellas County Medical Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons. He is on staff at Palms of Pasadena Hospital and Pasadena Surgery Center.

Dennis C. Ryczek, OD, is a Florida-certifi ed optometrist. He attended St. Petersburg Junior College and the University of South Florida. He graduated summa cum laude with a doctorate in optometry from the University of Houston, TX, and completed his externship at Hermann Hospital, Houston. Dr. Ryczek has received extensive training in primary eye care, including pre- and postoperative care for cataract and refractive procedures. He currently

serves as a Clinical Investigator for both Johnson & Johnson’s Vistakon Division and Bausch & Lomb and is a member of the American Optometric Association, Florida Optometric Association, Pinellas County Optometric Association and American Optometric Association’s contact lens section.

Envision Great ResultsPasadena Eye Center off ers leading-edge, comprehensive eye care. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, visit or call their offi ce in St. Petersburg at:

6950 Central Ave.(727) 343-3004

Pasadena Eye Center also off ers the services of a top-rated optical shop, which can be reached directly by calling:

(727) 347-9648

Common Symptoms of Cataracts Include ¤ Blurry or cloudy vision ¤ Colors appear faded ¤ Glare, especially in regard to

lighting such as headlights, lamps and sunlight

¤ Poor night vision ¤ Double vision or

multiple images ¤ Changes in prescription

eyeglasses or contact lenses

• Complete eye exams• Bladeless cataract surgery with

implant lenses and astigmatism correction

• TECNIS®• Symfony®• ReSTOR®

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treatments for glaucoma• Contact lenses• Full-service optical shop with

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Pasadena Surgery Center is a state-of-the-art facility, conveniently located in St. Petersburg, off ering excellent patient care in a comfortable setting. The facility utilizes new, top-of-the-line equipment to perform surgical procedures.

The doctors and staff are dedicated to providing the highest quality eye care to patients, along with the latest advancements in ophthalmology.

Services:

Intraocular Lens ¤ IOLs are made of � exible plastic. ¤ During the surgery, the IOL is rolled up and placed

inside the eye. ¤ Once in place, the IOL unfolds and the side structures

called haptics hold it in place.

Pasadena Eye Center

On the MoneyFor her IOLs, Dellor accepted Dr. Hall’s suggestion that, because of the blind spots she was dealing with, she take the monovision route and be � t with one lens set for distance vision while the other was � t for reading vision.

� e result of the surgeries was even better than Dr. Hall anticipated. After completing his work, Dr. Hall measured Dellor’s vision at 20/30 in her

left eye and the equivalent of 20/25 in her right. � is despite the remaining presence of the blind spots.

“We hit it right on the money in terms of getting her in focus,” says Dr. Hall, who used a couple of specialized measuring devices to ensure the power of Dellor’s IOLs were as accurate as they could be. “She had a really good outcome.”

Dellor agrees with that assessment. She says her cataract surgeries went “� awlessly,” thanks to Dr. Hall’s “gentle touch,” and reports that her vision is now exceptional, given the issues she’s been forced to deal with.

“My second eye was corrected late last year, and after the follow-up exam for that about a week later, I was so overwhelmed with joy and emotion that I got out of the chair and asked if I could give Dr. Hall a hug,” Dellor enthuses.

“� ere’s a spirit in that o� ce that is really special, and when you’re there, you feel like you’re the only patient he has. � at’s one of the things I really love about his clinic. When I’m there, I know I’m important to them, and that matters to me.

“I’m seeing so well now that I would literally stand on a corner and wave a � ag for Dr. Hall. I tell everybody I know about him and how kind and e� cient his sta� is. When I was advised to go see Dr. Hall, I was told his work is genius, and I believe I’m proof of that.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Jordan Pysz. mkb

(continued from page 1)

For years, patients opting for multifocal IOLs as replacement lenses

following cataract surgery could improve their vision for distance and either reading or intermediate vision. Now, they can get an IOL that improves their vision in all three areas.

In recent months, the most advanced IOL yet, a trifocal lens called the PanOptix® lens that corrects distance, intermediate and near vision, was made avail-able to patients in the United States. Dr. Hall says there is no other like it.

“We’ve implanted this new lens in a few patients now, and the results have been incred-ible,” Dr. Hall reports. “People

are seeing crystal clear at every distance with it. � ey’re seeing 20/20 at distance, near and every range in between.”

� e PanOptix lens is not new to the world of vision care. It has been available to patients in Europe for four years and to patients in Canada for two years, but it recently gained FDA approval for use in the US. Dr. Hall says it’s a game-changer.

“It’s really one of the most exciting things happening in cataract surgery right now,” he says. “And I’m so happy with the results we’re getting with it that I am now making the PanOptix lens my lens of choice for all my patients who want multifocal IOLs.”

Three in One

 Improved vision is helping

Dellor run her daughter’s

chiropractic o� ce

David Sherberg, DMD, FAGD, is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine who furthered his edu-cation through the postdoctoral Advanced Education in General

Dentistry residency program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also received extensive training

in the area of implant dentistry, including earn-ing the Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Dental

Implant Certification at the University of Florida, the Same Day Teeth® certifi cation, and membership in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. An avid researcher and faculty member of the Phelps Institute,

Dr. Sherberg also lectures nationally to prestigious dental organizations.

says. “We do root canals, crowns, dentures, implants, veneers, extractions, just about everything.”

“And we do a lot of that work under sedation. I am certi� ed in IV sedation, and only a handful of general dentists in St. Petersburg can claim that distinc-tion. One of the great advantages of this is it allows patients who require a lot of work to get that work done in just a few appointments.”

In addition to specializing in the treatment of patients with dental anxiety, Dr. Sherberg also takes on patients who have long neglected their oral health. Jane didn’t fall into either category, but Dr. Sherberg was able to help her nonetheless.

Ready When You Are“When Jane came to me the � rst time, she was wearing an upper partial denture that didn’t � t quite right,” Dr. Sherberg explains. “� at’s what was causing the sore that she came in for, and there were some other problems.

“The teeth that the partial denture hooked on to were not in great shape. She was eventually going to lose those teeth, but at that time, she wasn’t ready to get into a full denture just yet, so what we did was � t her with a new partial.”

“I told her at the time, though, that if she ever decides to be a little more proac-tive about the denture, just let me know and we’ll discuss the options. � en one day about a year or so ago, she came in and said, I’m ready to have that conversation.”

� e options Jane and Dr. Sherberg discussed included traditional dentures, removable implant-supported dentures and � xed implant-supported dentures. Concerned about her ability to clean her dentures as she aged, Jane chose the � xed implant model, Same Day Teeth®.

“I was used to taking out my partial and cleaning it every night, but I don’t know that I’ll always have the manual

dexterity to get a denture in and out every night, so I went with the fixed implant,” Jane says. “It’s the closest thing you can get to real teeth.”

Indeed it is. Dental implants are root-shaped, screw-like bodies that are surgically placed into the jawbone. Once the implant is in the jawbone, new bone naturally grows around it to form the foundation for replacement teeth.

The replacement teeth can be a single crown that is either cemented to or screwed onto an abutment, a partial bridge that can be a� xed to one or more implants, or a full denture that can be fastened to a series of implants. � ere are many options, and it’s important to

find the right plan for each specif ic patient’s needs.

Prior to placing an implant, some patients require a bone grafting proce-dure des igned to enhance the volume o f t h e j a w b o n e s o t h a t i t c a n properly support the implant. The amount o f t ime needed for the bone

development is about three months.� e amount of time usually needed

for implants to heal to the point where they can support a prosthetic is between three and six months, but through the Same Day Teeth option, Dr. Sherberg can provide patients with new teeth immediately.

Immediate Impact� e Same Day Teeth option calls for the patient to receive four to six implants that are situated in a way that allows the patient to be � t with a temporary � xed denture that is later replaced by their permanent � xed denture.

“We call that the All-on-Four, Five, or Six Protocol and what’s great about it is that someone can literally have all their teeth taken out and then have their implants and temporary teeth placed at the same time, in one day,” Dr. Sherberg a� rms.

“Another bene� t of this exciting new protocol is that it’s rare that we need to do any bone grafting with it. We’re usually able to � t the implants into places where there’s enough bone to support them, which saves time and money.

“When doing implant procedures, we also do prosthetic planning where we analyze the patient’s jaw in 3-D and map the case out digitally. From those digital plans, we make guides that we

use during surgery to place the implants in the exact spots they need to be.”

Less than � ve percent of all dental implants placed in the U.S utilize this technology, but Dr. Sherberg believes it is such an improvement that he provides this protocol at no additional cost.

Dr. Sherberg made use of all those tools in treating Jane, who took advantage of the Same Day Teeth option and was � t with implants and a temporary bridge late last summer. She has since received her permanent denture and says she couldn’t be happier with it.

“First of all, I want to say that Dr. Sherberg and his staff were wonderful,” Jane enthuses. “� ey took very good care of me, and from a post-op standpoint, there was never an issue.

“Everything went very well, and one of the things that I really like about Dr. Sherberg is that he is so precise. I was scheduled to receive my permanent bridge just before Christmas last year, but it wasn’t quite right, so he wanted me to wait a little longer.

“He said, Jane, I’m sorry, but I want to be sure this is right for you, so he had me come back just after the New Year, and when I did, it � t perfectly. � ere wasn’t an issue at all, so I was glad he took the extra time to make sure it was just right.

“I want to add that I have the highest regard for Dr. Sherberg as a professional. I trust him implicitly, and I’m very picky about who I go to in the medical � eld because I know the di� erence between exceptional and ordinary care.

“I always look for the professional who is spectacular, and Dr. Sherberg is on the leading edge with what he’s doing. I truly could not be more pleased with having him as my dentist, and I recom-mend him highly to anyone.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos courtesy of Bayway

Dental. mkb

(727) 292-1811

One-Stop Dentistry

th Street South

At Bayway Dental, Dr. David Sherberg can perform most, if not all, of the procedures necessary to restore your smile in just a few appointments. To learn more about his practice, the services off ered, or to schedule an appointment, visit his offi ce in St. Petersburg at:

To learn more or to take a virtual consult, visit Bayway Dental on the web at baywaydental.com

DAVID SHERBERG, DMD, FAGD

Despite all that has transpired since its conclusion, the Persian Gulf War in which Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi

army was driven out of the oil fields of Kuwait is still considered one of the greatest US military successes of all time.

Former nurse Jane Bigelow, 76, played a big part in that success.

A US Air Force colonel stationed at the Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt, Germany at the time, Jane was the commander of the 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, which was responsible for airlifting injured soldiers out of the war zone and back to safety.

Her work there was a success all its own.“My folks met the challenge, because

everyone was transported safely, which was our goal,” Jane explains. “We wanted to get them back quickly, triage them and then decide who had to go to the States, who could be cared for in the European theater, and so on.”

Jane’s command of the 2nd AES � lled up the � nal two years of a 24-year military career that ended in 1992. She is now retired and splits her time between Bu� alo, New York and St. Petersburg, which is where she was a couple years ago when a medical issue � ared up.

“I had a sore on the roof of my mouth, and when I asked my primary care physician about it, he said, Jane, I think this is a dental issue,” she says. “� ere just happens to be a dentist right around the corner from where I live, so I went there to see what it was.”

The practice near Jane’s home is Bayway Dental in St. Petersburg, where David Sherberg, DMD, FAGD, is expe-rienced in sedation dentistry and has the skill and technology to perform virtually any dental procedure a patient requires.

“We’re a one-stop shop, so most of our patients don’t need to see a specialist to get the care they need,” Dr. Sherberg

Same Day Teeth® option restores smile in a single visit

BEFORE

AFTER

Prior to receiving Same Day Teeth, only Jane's bottom teeth

were visible in her smile line. Now she has a full natural smile.

Page 4 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition South Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 5

Barry LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloLisa Buie

Editorial Staff

Laura EngelProduction Assistant

Nerissa JohnsonKristy EllenbeckerGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszPhotography

Steve TurkGary Smith

Aldy LaracuenteBob Mize

Dominic Donnell Distribution

Pasadena Eye CenterOphthalmology & Optometry

Shettle Eye Research, Inc.Dry Eye Treatment

Physician Partners of AmericaLaser Spine Surgery

Bayway DentalGeneral, Cosmetic &

Implant Dentistry

Manatee Memorial HospitalSpecialty Care Hospital

Dennis M. Lox, MDPhysical Medicine

HemWell AmericaHemorrhoid Treatment

South Florida Eye ClinicEye Floater Treatment

Zimmer Medical ServicesConcierge Medicine

Regenerative Orthopedic InstituteStem Cell Therapy/ Pain Management

OsteoStrong Osteoporosis Treatment

The Eye Institute of West FloridaOphthalmology

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

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OphthalmOlOgy & OptOmetry general, COsmetiC & implant Dentistry

A t 41, Amy Semanie is start-ing over. Recently divorced, she has gone back to school to begin working toward a

degree in psychology, and for the � rst time in years, she’s paying close attention to her own personal health and wellness.

“It’s all part of what I call my life change,” Amy confirms. “I’m in the gym a lot more now and actually seeing a trainer twice a week. And when I’m not working out, attending classes or studying, I’m spending more time with family and friends.”

� ose changes may not seem all that drastic to some, but they are for Amy, who up until about a year ago was shel-tering herself away in her home, largely because of a weight problem that had spiraled out of control.

Brought on by the combination of a condition that can cause insulin to func-tion abnormally in the body (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and her own poor eat-ing habits, Amy’s weight problem dates back to early adulthood.

“I never really had a weight problem when I was younger,” she says. “But I’ve carried extra weight pretty much my entire adult life. As I got into my late thirties, I got to a point where I just felt trapped by the amount of weight I was carrying.

“I was stuck inside all the time because I couldn’t stand for very long or walk long distances. Everyday things that you nor-mally don’t even think about like walking to the kitchen and standing and making your dinner became a chore for me.

“I was very unhappy and unhealthy, not going anywhere or doing anything,

STELIOS REKKAS, MD, FACS, FASMBS

and when I hit the age of forty, I had this aha moment where I decided I had to start investing more time in myself and into my physical and mental health.”

When that aha moment came, Amy weighed 419 pounds. In addition to seek-ing help from a mental health counselor, one of the � rst investments she made in herself was to � nd a diet program that would help her lose weight.

After doing some research on proce-dures such as gastric bypass surgery, which she wanted to avoid, Amy discovered Stelios Rekkas, MD, FACS, FASMBS, of the Manatee Weight Loss Center, which is part of the Manatee Physician Alliance/Manatee Healthcare System.

Dr. Rekkas performs a minimally invasive surgical procedure called robotic sleeve gastrectomy during which 60 to 80 percent of the patient’s stomach is removed by robotic arms that are con-trolled remotely by the physician.

Less Is More As its name suggests, the robotic sleeve gastrectomy procedure leaves the patient’s reduced stomach in the shape of a small sleeve. With a smaller stomach, patients eat less because they feel full faster, which naturally leads to weight loss.

In order to qualify for a robotic sleeve gastrectomy, a person must be approxi-mately 100 pounds over their ideal body weight or have a body mass index, or BMI, of at least 35 with medical conditions or 40 without medical conditions.

Dr. Rekkas performs the surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital, which he lauds for its investment in three robotic platforms. Those platforms have made Manatee Memorial one of the few hospitals in the state that performs all of its bariatric procedures robotically.

“� e hospital has done a great job of providing us with the tools we need to do our best work,” he states. “It has taken the initiative to be an advanced minimally invasive surgical center, and it provides excellent nursing care.

“In addition, it provides a bariatric coordinator for all of our

PHYSICIANS ARE ON THE MEDICAL STAFF OF MANATEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, BUT, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, ARE INDEPENDENT PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS OF MANATEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ACTIONS OR TREATMENTS PROVIDED BY PHYSICIANS. FOR LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE, DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS, AND THE NON-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

Manatee Memorial Hospital has a long tradition of providing medical care in a comfortable and convenient environment for thousands of patients. Serving the community for years, the -bed, acute-care facility off ers access to more than physicians and allied health professionals, with a broad range of specialties. Manatee Memorial Hospital can offer patients the added benefi t and convenience of services such as x-rays, laboratory tests and MRIs, all conducted in one place.

Advanced CareTrust your care to Manatee Memorial Hospital. The hospital also off ers several programs to help educate the public about maintaining or regaining health. Manatee Memorial Hospital is in Bradenton at: 206 2nd St. East

(941) 745-7545

patients, and we work hand in hand with them. As a result, most patients stay only one day in the hospital, and with the coor-dinator’s help, we make an impact and a di� erence in our patients’ lives.”

Hoping it would make a differ-ence in her life, Amy opted to have the robotic sleeve surgery after meeting with Dr. Rekkas, who typically spends about three-six months prepping patients for the surgery by guiding them through an “opti-mization period.”

“We take a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss, so it’s not just a matter of having surgery,” Dr. Rekkas informs. “Prior to surgery, all of our patients meet with our in-house dietician, and we get them on a diet and exercise program.

“Our goal is to get our patients as healthy as we can prior to surgery, and that includes going through a psychological screening. � ere is an entire process that leads up to the surgery itself, which is what we’re w o r k i n g t o w a r d d u r i n g t h e optimization period.”

� e surgery itself lasts about 45 min-utes. During that time, Dr. Rekkas controls four robotic arms that begin the surgical process by making � ve small incisions in the abdomen of the patient, who is put to sleep through general anesthesia.

“Everything is done through those lit-tle incisions, one of which is about an inch long, while the rest are less than half an inch in length,” Dr. Rekkas states. “� e size of those incisions is one of the reasons people have less pain and recover so quickly from this procedure.

“For years, this procedure was done through an incision that was about a foot long, and the surgeon had to stand over the patient and manipulate his instruments. It was hard to see sometimes and was a very stressful procedure.

“But now, once those incisions are made, a camera goes inside one of them that allows me to see everything inside clearly and in a three-dimensional environment. Next, a retractor elevates the liver, which allows me to go in and free up the stomach.

“� en a special robotic stapler is used that actually clamps the stomach, seals it and

Stelios Rekkas, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is a graduate of Manatee High School who completed his under-

graduate degree at the University of Florida and received his medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center and a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at Jackson South Hospital/Baptist Hospital in Miami.

cuts it. Finally, the part of the stomach that has to be taken out gets removed from the body through another small incision in the abdomen.”

At the time of her surgery in April, Amy weighed 387 pounds. Since the sur-gery, she has lost more than 100 pounds, and she’s con� dent the e� ects of the sur-gery and the support she receives from Dr. Rekkas’ weight-loss team will allow her to lose plenty more.

“I’m so happy I had the surgery,” Amy exudes. “It was de� nitely worth it. I feel so much better now, and I’m so glad that Dr. Rekkas performed the surgery because I’m surrounded now by people who are going to help me achieve my goals.

“� e dynamic inside that o� ce and the support they o� er are just incredible. Everyone is so caring and helpful. Just being in that environment has been a great help to my success because it can be easy to give up on the program when you’re on your own.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Amy after photo by Jordan

Pysz. Amy before photo courtesy of Manatee Weight Loss Center. ke

Amy Semanie

To learn more about the robotic sleeve gastrectomy procedure or any of the other surgical weight-loss and non-surgical procedures performed at Manatee Memorial Hospital, please visitmanateememorial.com.

Derrick Brooks

Joint PainginlkcaHall of Fame linebacker � nds relief for lingering soreness, discomfort

P erhaps it was good fortune. Or maybe he just got lucky. However you choose to cat-egorize it doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that during his 14-year National Football League career, Derrick Brooks never missed a game because of an injury.

� at doesn’t mean the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker didn’t play hurt. Or injured. He surely did. Across a span of 235 straight games, the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee played through a lot of pain.

But in a league where the players all know that it’s not a matter of if you get hurt but when you get hurt, Derrick man-aged to beat the odds and kept on playing. It wasn’t until he was out of the game that the odds � nally caught up to him.

“Through engaging and disengag-ing blockers, grabbing and tackling ball carriers and falling and things like that, I developed some wrist injuries while play-ing that lingered on into post-retirement from the game,” Derrick reveals.

“And it was about three years ago now that it got really bad. I literally started to have di� culty grabbing and holding onto things. It eventually got to a point where I couldn’t grip anything heavier than a pen, so even writing became a problem for me.

“For years, even back to my playing days, I was being treated for my wrist problems by an orthopedist, and when this happened, he said we needed to look into getting this treated in a more aggres-sive manner to relieve my discomfort.”

Individualized Quality Care

At Sports & Regenerative Medicine Centers, patients work directly with Dr. Lox. Every patient is treated to their individual needs with a strong emphasis on quality care. To learn more or schedule a consultation, call or visit the offi ce in Clearwater at:

Drew Street (727) 308-5853

Beverly Hills, CA(310) 982-2652

Derrick Brooks is one of dozens of former professional athletes who have been treated by Dr. Lox. 

Visit them on the web at www.drlox.com

One of those more aggressive options was surgery, but Derrick never had to undergo surgery during his playing days and wanted to keep that streak intact. With that in mind, he was advised by his orthopedist to visit Dennis M. Lox, MD.

Wide Spectrum Dr. Lox is a board-certi� ed physical med-icine and rehabilitation specialist who specializes in sports medicine. He treats a wide spectrum of patients that includes everything from weekend warriors to retired pro athletes such as Derrick.

“I treat a lot of young, teenage ath-letes, but just the other day, I also treated a ninety-nine-year-old who is going to be one hundred in October,” Dr. Lox says. “I recently treated two marathoners, both of whom are in their sixties, so I see all types.”

Dr. Lox began his care of Derrick, then 43, the same way he does with all his patients – by conducting a thorough examination. In this case, the examination revealed the cause of Derrick’s wrist pain to be cartilage damage and an advanced case of arthritis.

“With Derrick, someone might hear arthritis and think, Well, he’s too young to be suffering from arthritis,” Dr. Lox explains. “But arthritis can start with an initial injury such as the kind Derrick dealt with as a player, and over time, it just gets progressively worse.

“Arthritis always starts as aches and pains in the joints and then, eventually, it progresses and gets to a point where there’s no joint left. I see a lot of people in their seventies, for example, who have no hip left. � at’s the end-stage of arthritis.

“Derrick’s arthritis wasn’t at that stage yet, and what I do with patients like that is stop the breakdown caused by the arthritis and repair the joint. It’s the same with carti-lage degeneration. We treat both in a way that builds up the joint and stops the breakdown.”

Derrick says he was initially a bit apprehensive about the treatment Dr. Lox recommended. In time, though, he developed a great deal of con� dence in both Dr. Lox and the recommended treat-ments, so much, in fact, that he agreed to give them a try.

“What really convinced me to stay in this particular lane regarding my treat-ment options was not just the therapy itself, but Dr. Lox,” Derrick says. “He really took his time to educate me on the process all the way through.

“It wasn’t like he was trying to rush me in, get me treated and move on. We had a few visits even before the treatment started where his goal was to educate me about the process and get me to a point where I was comfortable with it.

“That’s one of the main reasons I went ahead with it. Being comfortable with the treatment and knowing it was the right � t for me was one thing. But being comfortable with Dr. Lox and being able to develop a personal relationship with him was another.

“� at was a huge factor for me in terms of having peace of mind going forward, because when you know some-one like that, you know they have your best interest in mind. � at’s something Dr. Lox and his sta� develop with every-one that walks through their door.”

Another thing that gave Derrick peace of mind was the expected results of the repair treatment. Dr. Lox says results vary depending on the activity level of the patient receiving the therapy, but in Derrick’s case, he always expected a superior outcome.

“The thing about athletes is, a lot of them are still beating themselves up,” Dr. Lox says. “With the two marathoners, for example, their results are going to be di� erent because they’re going to go right back out there and run marathons again.

“� e di� erence with Derrick is that he’s not tackling anybody anymore. He’s taking better care of himself now. So we always expected his outcome to be very good, and that success rate, whatever it may be, is something I always discuss with the patient.”

“Incredible” Results After hearing another professional football player, former Buccaneers teammate Ian Beckles, discuss Dr. Lox, Derrick inquired further. He also consulted with his per-sonal orthopedic surgeon, who gave him the green light on the treatment.

Armed with those endorsements, Derrick received Dr. Lox’s repair treat-ment on both his wrists in July 2016. Within a month, Derrick says he was feel-ing the positive e� ects of the treatment. � e e� ects were so positive, in fact, that Derrick returned for more.

“Once Dr. Lox treated my wrists, I thought, Wow, this is incredible,” Derrick says.

“� e pain was gone, and my ability to do all the normal things that I couldn’t do before returned, and it just got better and better.

“It got so much better that after a few months, I went back to Dr. Lox and told him I wanted to get more aggressive in treating some other areas that were giving me prob-lems. � at’s when he treated my left knee.

“� at was early in 2017. Now, in both my knee and my wrists, I have no issues at all, and I’m con� dent that going forward, I won’t have any problems with those areas the rest of my life. And if similar problems develop elsewhere, I know exactly where to go.”

Derrick says he’s proud of the fact that, in addition to never missing a game while playing in the NFL, he never had to undergo surgery during his playing days. He says Dr. Lox is the reason he has kept that streak alive into post-retirement.

“He gave me an alternative to sur-gery, and I am so thankful for that,” Derrick says. “Obviously, there are some things where surgery may be the best way to repair the problem, but for me, this repair treatment was the best option.

“Dr. Lox’s treatment really works and not just for me but for anyone who has joint pain. I’ve seen it work for people all across the board. Whether you play sports or not, this is a treatment that can help everybody, which is why I so highly recommend Dr. Lox.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Main photo by Jordan Pysz. mkb

T

Dennis M. Lox, MD, is a world recognized Sports and Regenerative Medicine Specialist. Dr. Lox did his undergraduate studies at The University of Arizona and did his medical training in Texas, with a Residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Lox, began practicing Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine in Florida in . During this time, he edited two medical textbooks and eight medical textbook chapters. Dr. Lox, has written numerous scientifi c abstracts in the fi eld of Sports and Regenerative Medicine and presented his fi ndings at

Scientifi c Medical Conferences on Tissue Engineering. He has treated patients from around the world, including celebrities, professional

athletes, and patients just wanting a better quality of life.

Page 6 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition South Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 7speCialty Care hOspital physiCal meDiCine

Michael A. Zimmer, MD, MACP, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a Master of the American College of Physicians®.Dr. Zimmer completed his undergrad-

uate studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he gradu-ated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his medi-cal degree from Jeff erson Medical College in Philadelphia and then continued studies in general sur-gery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in

Newark. Dr. Zimmer did postgraduate training in internal medicine at Morristown Memorial Hospital, a Columbia University affi liate, in Morristown, NJ. He is currently a clin-ical assistant professor of medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa. He served as president of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians, where he was elected to Mastership and Fellowship. He serves on the Florida Medical Delegation to the American Medical Association and is also a member of the Pinellas County Medical Society.

MICHAEL A. ZIMMER, MD, MACP

Innovative, thorough and compassionate careZimmer Medical Services is readily available to assist those who want a more comprehensive physician-patient experience. To learn more

about concierge medicine, call them or visit the practice in St. Petersburg at:

509 Jackson St. North(727) 502-2626

To � nd out more, check out Zimmer Medical Services online at zimmercm.com

When Margo saw how well Dr. Zimmer treated her husband, she established herself as a patient of the doc-tor as well. It wasn’t long after that Margo turned to the internist when she developed complications following cataract surgery.

“After I had my � rst eye surgery, I started experi-encing strange symptoms,” Margo relates. “I thought maybe I was allergic to the eye drops because my eyes were burning and stinging, like I was pouring gasoline in them. But I was also dizzy and lightheaded.

“� e eye surgeon told me to call my primary care physician because those aren’t common symptoms for someone who had cataract surgery. So I contacted Dr. Zimmer, and he immediately spoke to my surgeon and found out what was going on. � en he ordered blood work, which showed I was extremely de� cient in sodium and chloride.”

Sodium and chloride are electrolytes, which balance the amount of water in cells. Electrolyte de� ciencies can a� ect the function of nerves and muscles, including the heart. Margo’s de� ciency had to be corrected before she could resume cataract surgery on her second eye.

“Dr. Zimmer worked with me for several weeks to come up with a treatment to get my blood levels back to normal,” Margo recounts. “He also ran a lot of tests to be sure there wasn’t any underlying condition. And through it all, I was in almost daily communication with Dr. Zimmer by phone and email. It was remarkable.”

Calm Reassurance“Margo and I initially corresponded by email,” Dr. Zimmer explains. “� e information she provided in her emails directed me to the appropriate blood tests for making a diagnosis. We followed up with an o� ce visit when I determined her sodium level was low. I had her adjust her � uid intake and followed her progress through blood and urine testing.”

Dr. Zimmer uses email in other ways as well. He says it’s a good medium for supplementing the patient education he provides in his o� ce. He can use email to further de� ne his patients’ medical conditions, and to describe in detail the various diagnostic procedures and treatments recommended.

“For example, Margo and Tom were worried about Tom’s kidney function after a visit to his kidney special-ist,” Dr. Zimmer states. “I sent them an email explaining the terminology and describing the tests that were used to classify Tom’s kidney condition, and they were both reassured by that. It also saved them a visit to the o� ce for a consultation to discuss Tom’s test results.”

Dr. Zimmer considers email another tool he can use to be more e� cient and e� ective in delivering patient care. Using it, he was able to speed up Margo’s eval-uation so he could get her treatment started and her

symptoms resolved quickly. � e internist believes email can help him reach a diagnosis in a more timely fashion in a majority of cases.

“In internal medicine, about ninety percent of the diagnosis depends on the history and the labs, and a smaller percentage depends on the actual physical exam-ination,” the doctor observes. “Email communication expedites the patient’s work-up, so I can quickly reach a diagnosis and begin treatment.

“In the traditional practice setting, physicians wait for patients to come in for an o� ce visit to describe their symptoms, send them for their lab work, have them return to the o� ce to discuss the lab results, and then they can initiate treatment. Using email is a nice way to facilitate communication in my practice and leverage technology to advance my patients’ health care.”

Instantaneous CommunicationMargo and Tom like Dr. Zimmer’s concierge approach to care. Margo is especially pleased with the internist’s quick response to her questions and concerns.

“I can communicate with Dr. Zimmer by email or text, or by phone if I need to speak with the o� ce sta� , but he’s great with email,” she shares. “He’s so responsive. We get almost instantaneous communication back from him or his sta� .

“One day, I was scheduled to have a blood test, but the lab technician said I couldn’t get it because I was sup-posed to fast, and I drank co� ee that morning. But the nurse from Dr. Zimmer’s o� ce told me I didn’t have to fast for the test. To get clari� cation, I sent Dr. Zimmer a message, and he got right back to me. And that was on a Saturday morning.

“Dr. Zimmer and his sta� have been very good to Tom and me,” Margo adds. “We never had a physician who showed such genuine concern for our well-being. Dr. Zimmer’s care and concern were so reassuring during those di� cult times in our lives.

“We couldn’t be happier with � nding Dr. Zimmer and having him as our doctor. He’s like a dream physician.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz. ke

Dr. Zimmer’s concierge medicine

added another chapter to Tom

and Margo’s storybook marriage.

C ollege professors Margo Mastropieri and her husband, Tom Scruggs, retired to Florida in 2014 after years of working at universities in cold cli-

mates. In Florida, they live active lifestyles in the warmer temperatures, where they can kayak, swim and boat year-round. Margo and Tom also spend time with friends in book clubs and playing shu� eboard.

But late last year, a sudden health concern inter-rupted their storybook retirement.

“It was Christmas Day, and Tom and I were enter-taining about ten guests for dinner,” Margo recalls. “After dinner, we were sitting on the deck when one of Tom’s legs swelled up like crazy. It nearly doubled in size. We politely said goodnight to our guests and went to the emergency room.

“� e doctors at the ER were helpful, but they left us without a clear diagnosis of Tom’s condition. � ey told us to follow up with his primary care physician. After repeated, unreturned calls and messages to Tom’s doctor, a friend recommended Dr. Zimmer as a highly quali� ed and responsive physician.”

Michael A. Zimmer, MD, is a board-certified internist at Zimmer Medical Services in St. Petersburg. Dr. Zimmer practices concierge medicine, a practice model in which physicians see fewer patients, which allows them to spend more time with their patients, and makes them accessible at any time via phone call and email.

“Tom set up an appointment with Dr. Zimmer, and it was like a miracle,” Margo reports. “Dr. Zimmer took everything very seriously and put Tom in touch with the appropriate medical specialists to help with his leg.

“At the same time, Dr. Zimmer identi� ed critical health issues with Tom’s heart and kidneys that no one else had ever identi� ed. He made immediate referrals to additional experts who now work with Dr. Zimmer to provide coordinated care for Tom. I believe Dr. Zimmer saved my husband’s life with his expertise.”

F or the better part of the ten years he suffered from hem-orrhoids, Jason* told no one of the condition, not even his

wife or his doctor. “I guess like a lot of people I was too

embarrassed to talk about it,” Jason con� des. “It was de� -nitely a problem, though. I’d wake up in the middle of the night, itching like crazy. I tried hemorrhoid cream, but it didn’t do anything. It was horrible.”

Now retired, Jason spent his working years in the broadcasting industry, where he managed radio and television stations. One day, he heard about HemWell America and had a revelatory moment.

“I said to myself, � at’s me. I’m not telling my wife about this; I’m not telling anybody,” Jason recalls. “So I went home that night and told my wife, I’m having a little problem down there and I’m going to make an appointment with HemWell.”

Outpatient Procedure“Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum or anal canal and they’re extremely common,” notes Linh B. Nguyen, MD, of HemWell America. “In fact, more than � fty percent of people age � fty or older

have them to some degree.”Most sufferers are

understandably reluctant to try the available treat-ment options, some of which have traditionally been both painful and inconvenient. Fortunately, Dr. Nguyen o� ers microcur-rent electrolysis (MCE), an FDA-approved, nonsurgi-

cal method for treatment of hemorrhoids. � e noninvasive, relatively painless outpa-tient procedure has been helping patients for more than 20 years and is completed right in the doctor’s o� ce.

“A low current is applied to the base of the hemorrhoid, causing a chemical reaction that induces the hemorrhoid to shrink,” the doctor explains. “This method doesn’t cause the agonizing pain often associated with traditional hem-orrhoid surgery and is covered by most insurances and Medicare.

“In addition to being well tolerated by patients, this method does not require anesthesia, and it’s highly e� ective, safe

and convenient. Up to ninety percent of people who have it done get relief from their hemorrhoids, and it can be safely repeated as needed.

“One of the best things about it is that there is no need to take any special preparation to clear the bowels. Patients can have the procedure done and go back to work immediately, so there is no downtime. � e entire procedure takes approximately twenty minutes.”

“Feel Like New”“Dr. Nguyen makes you feel very comfort-able during the procedure,” says Jason, who reports that the MCE treatment was not only painless but immediately e� ective.

“I felt like a new person when I walked out of the doctor’s o� ce after the proce-dure,” he says. “� e itching was gone.”

Also gone is Jason’s unwillingness to talk about hemorrhoids. In fact, he talks about them freely now, in case it helps others.

“I tell people that this is the most comfortable treatment and it’s not an embarrassing situation,” he notes. “If you’re putting treatment o� because of embarrassment, don’t wait another sec-ond. Pick up the phone and get it done because it’s not embarrassing at all.”FHCN staff article. mkb

*Patient’s name withheld at his request.

Quick, Easy and E� ective Safe, nonsurgical

treatment relieves

hemorrhoids

Microcurrent Electrolysis Hemorrhoid Treatment

• FDA-approved• Well-tolerated – no anesthesia

required• No downtime• No special preparation• No painful surgery• Covered by most insurance and

Medicare• Highly eff ective and safe

Linh B. Nguyen, MD, is board certifi ed and is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and received his medical degree from Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA. He is certifi ed in microcurrent electrolysis for the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Why Su� er?If pain, itching and bleeding from

hemorrhoids are aff ecting you, there’s help. Call HemWell America

today or visit one of their offi ces:

Pinellas Park5265 Park Blvd., Suite 101

Tampa4809 Armenia Ave., Suite 240

8553 W. Linebaugh Ave.

(855) 697-WELL (9355)

LINH B. NGUYEN, MD

Visit www.hemwellamerica.com

SOUTH FLORIDA EYE CLINICSCOTT L. GELLER, MD

For Eye Floater Solutions

South Florida Eye Clinic is located in Fort Myers at:

4755 Summerlin Rd. Call Dr. Geller at:

(239) 275-8222or toll-free at:

(877) 371-3937

Scott L. Geller, MD, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and Rush Medical College. While in med-ical school, he was awarded a student fellowship to study tropical medicine at a missionary hospital in India, and pursued additional studies at the famous Brompton Hospital in London, England. He interned at Presbyterian Hospital, Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, and completed his residency in ophthalmology at Sinai Hospital of Detroit, which was affi liated with Wayne State Medical School and Kresge Eye Institute. Dr. Geller was fellowship-trained in anterior segment and refractive surgery with Dr. William Myers of the Michigan Eye Institute. Dr. Geller is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has presented papers on eye fl oater laser treatment at the International Congress of Ophthalmology, European Congress o f C a t a r a c t & Refractive Surgery, European Congress of Ophthalmology and the Florida S o c i e t y o f Ophthalmology.

SCAN THIS TO YOUR SMARTPHONE

TO SEE ACTUAL PATIENTS

Dr. Geller has performed more than 20,000 documented eye � oater laser sessions.

See what Dr. Geller’s patients say about the Eye Floater Laser at www.vimeo.com/eye� oaters and on the Scott Geller MD YouTube channel.

Eye Floater LaserScott Geller, MD, teaches the technique worldwide

W ith more than 20,000 documented eye � oater laser sessions com-pleted, Dr. Scott Geller,

a board-certi� ed ophthalmologist, has the largest and longest clinical series of eye � oater laser sessions in the United States, and probably worldwide.

“I became interested in this niche ophthalmic specialty after I was trained by the professors in Switzerland who were using lasers to cut membranes in diabetic patients,” Dr. Geller explains. “� ey never thought of applying it to eye � oaters.”

Some doctors and patients creditDr. Geller with inventing the technique.

“I just applied the training and tech-niques I learned to eye � oaters, and have had amazing success,” Dr. Geller says. “I have presented my results and technique at major scienti� c meetings worldwide starting with the International Congress of

Ophthalmology in Singapore over twenty-� ve years and thousands of cases ago.”

Dr. Geller’s last presentations were at the prestigious Florida Society of Ophthalmology and the Orione Ophthalmic Congress in Italy, where he performed eye � oater laser sessions on selected patients.

“Almost all ophthalmologists use lasers in their practice, but they can’t treat eye � oaters with the precision and predictability required to do the best job possible, because most YAG lasers are not configured to work in the vit-reous gel, where floaters are created,” Dr. Geller states.

Worldwide Patient BaseRecently, a major ophthalmic laser manufacturer has devised a laser for � oaters.

“� e problem is, there have been no training courses for ophthalmologists who might be interested in this area,” Dr. Geller notes. “And that can lead to complications.”

Dr. Geller was the prin-cipal author of the only presentation on this subject at the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2012.

“I have tried the other lasers, and if they were superior, I would purchase one immedi-ately,” Dr. Geller says. “I use the

Swiss made LASAG laser. It is de� nitely, in my hands, superior to the others out there. And I have two of them.”

Dr. Geller has a worldwide patient base. He has treated patients from Europe, Russia, China, Japan and most recently, an anesthesiologist from Brazil.

Dr. Gel ler a lways welcomes colleagues to observe or just call if they need to re� ne their own technique.

“Laser treatment of eye � oaters is fas-cinating,” Dr. Geller says. “I look forward to doing this every day.”Article submitted by Scott L. Geller, MD. Photo by Jordan

Pysz. mkb

Page 8 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition South Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 9COnCierge meDiCinehemOrrhOiD treatment

eye FlOater treatment

ERICK A. GRANA, MD

Erick A. Grana, MD, is a diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, with sub-specialty certification in pain medicine. After he received his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, he completed his internship and residency at the university’s hospital and was subsequently awarded a fellow-ship from the department of rehabilitation

medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Grana is a former assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and

a member of the American Medical Association, the

International Spinal Injection Society and the Florida Academy of Pain Medicine. Visit Regenerative Orthopedic Institute on the web at www.dontoperate.com

Don’t Operate,

REGENERATEFor more information about stem cell therapy, please call

or visit Regenerative Orthopedic Institute in Tampa at:

8011 North Himes Avenue, Suite 3

(813) 868-1659

S ome people know early in life what they want to do for a career, and they follow clear paths to reach their goals. � at

wasn’t the case for Geraldine Duez. For years, Geraldine worked in various capac-ities before � nally � nding her calling as a certi� ed nursing assistant (CNA).

“I started out working as a beauti-cian and did that for a while,” Geraldine relates. “� en, I went to work in a fac-tory and from there to working in an o� ce, which I did for a few years. After that, I started my career as a CNA and worked in nursing for twenty years. I even did private care for a while. I retired as a CNA in 2015.

“I initially became a CNA because I knew there were jobs in that � eld. � ere’s always a need for nursing care. But I really enjoyed working in nursing because I got to know a lot of people, and I liked mak-ing patients happy.”

Retirement suited Geraldine, but she soon became hampered in her favor-ite activities, including working in her yard, by intense pain in her lower back and leg. � e pain, her doctor told her, was the result of sciatica, a pinching of the spinal nerves supplying the legs by degenerated discs.

“� e pain started on the left side of my lower spine and ran down my left leg,” Geraldine describes. “It really hurt. Sometimes, the pain started up when I was driving and made it hard to drive because it hurt so bad.

“I eventually had an MRI done in Port Charlotte, and it showed a lot of narrowing on the left side of my spine. � e pain it caused was o� and on, but it bothered me enough that I knew I had to get rid of it.”

Matters got worse for Geraldine before they got better. Over time, her troubling back pain was compounded by excruciating pain in her left knee.

“� ere was a burning pain on the left side of my knee,” she states. “At times, the pain was a nine on a scale of one to

ten. Occasionally, it hurt at the bottom of that knee as well, but that pain occurred at di� erent times. It wasn’t constant.

“Sometimes, my knee was unstable. I was afraid I might go down because it felt like my knee wasn’t going to hold me up. It usually held, but the feeling it might not was scary.”

Living with terrible back and knee pain took all of Geraldine’s energy. She finally accepted that she required a doctor’s care in order to find relief, but she d i d n’t k n o w where to turn. That changed when she picked up a copy of Florida Health Care News one day and read about Erick A. Grana, MD, of Regenerative Orthopedic Institute in Tampa.

“I read the article in the newspa-per about Dr. Grana and his treatment and thought, Maybe he could help me,” Geraldine remembers. “When Dr. Grana reviewed my MRI, he said my back was pretty bad, but he could treat me with his procedure. I thought I might as well have my back and knee treated at the same time. Dr. Grana told me he would give me a discount to have both done, and I always like a deal.”

Natural Process “Geraldine’s sciatica and knee pain were the result of degenerative arthritis,” Dr. Grana reports. “She was looking for a way to relieve her pain without resorting to surgery or heavy pain medications. She wanted a more natural way to ease the pain and manage the underlying arthritis.”

To addres s condi t ions l ike Geraldine’s, Dr. Grana uses regenerative medicine, which treats patients with a nonsurgical technique called stem cell

therapy. This therapy uses the patient’s own specialized stem cells to promote the growth of new tissue in joints rav-aged by arthritis or injury.

“Regenerative medicine treats dis-ease and injuries by harnessing the body’s own healing powers,’’ Dr. Grana informs. “� e natural healing process is accelerated by a combination of growth factors and bioactive cells in the form

o f s t em ce l l s and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

“� e process of using stem cells and PRP results in a safe, effec-tive treatment,” Dr. Grana assures. “And unlike tradi-

tional surgery, which can result in blood loss, scarring and long, painful recovery periods, stem cell therapy requires only injections into the damaged joint. It also o� ers a much quicker recovery than sur-gery. Typically, patients begin to feel a noticeable decrease in pain after six weeks.”

Stem cell therapy is autologous, meaning it utilizes stem cells, PRP and growth factors taken from the patient’s own body. Using the patient’s own cells eliminates the chances of reactive side e� ects or rejection.

Dr. Grana extracts stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow or fat, while the PRP is taken from the patient’s own blood. After the stem cells are harvested, they are separated through a centrifuge and injected into the painful area to stim-ulate the regeneration of damaged tissue and the healing of tendons, ligaments, joints or spinal discs.

Dr. Grana has developed a system for the delivery of stem cells and PRP into the pain generators in and around joints such as the knees, shoulders and hips. It’s called RegenaJoint™. He used this technique on Geraldine’s left knee. He has also developed a similar system to treat the spine called RegenaSpine™, which he used on Geraldine’s low back and sciatic pain.

“RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine are both minimally invasive proce-dures that are performed right in my office using a local anesthetic,” the doctor describes. “Patients typically resume normal activities immediately following the procedures.”

“Dr. Grana took fatty tissue from my stomach and took the stem cells from that,” Geraldine recalls. “Then he got platelets from the blood he took from my arm. He mixed the stem cells and plate-lets together and injected the combination into my back and knee.”

“I Feel Great” “About two weeks after the injections, I started to feel better,” Geraldine reports. “I had a lot of energy, and I was able to do all sorts of projects. I trimmed a palm bush in the yard, then put rubber rings around its trunk. I also spread mulch, which made the yard look really nice. I carried all of the mulch and dirt I used, and I wasn’t in pain.”

Geraldine continues to reap the ben-e� ts of her stem cell therapy and today, she’s amazed by how much improvement she’s achieved. She recognizes Dr. Grana and his treatments for her success.

“I feel great,” Geraldine raves. “I no longer have any pain in my back or down my left leg. Every once in a while, my knee hurts a little in one place, but when I mentioned that to Dr. Grana, he said it takes time for the joint to heal. Unless it gets worse, there’s nothing to worry about.

“� e stem cell treatment was success-ful. � e knee pain I have left is only a one on a scale of one to ten. And I no longer get that feeling it’s going to give out on me. Unfortunately, now my right knee sometimes feels that way. I told Dr. Grana maybe next year, I’ll have that knee done, too.

“I recommend RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine and already have to a few people. And I have recommended Dr. Grana and Regenerative Orthopedic Institute as well.”FHCN staff article. Photo by Jordan Pysz. mkb

Geraldine Duez

Reverse Bone LossOsteoStrong leverages scientifi cally

proven osteogenic-loading methodologies to help all ages and fi tness levels. It was created using research in cellular biology, anti-aging, longevity and bone mass.

OsteoStrong is in South Pasadena at:

6800 Gulfport Blvd., Suite 211

(727) 317-2600

Diseases and Conditions That Can Cause

Bone Loss include: � Autoimmune disorders � Digestive disorders � Breast or prostate cancer � Stroke � Celiac disease � Lupus � Parkinson’s disease � Spinal cord injuries � Diabetes � Scoliosis � Poor posture and poor diet

OsteoStrong® o� ers a natural way to trigger your own adaptive responses to improve bone density and physical strength. It is the no-sweat, no-soreness, once-a-week system that only takes about seven minutes per session. More than 25,000 people have experienced amazing results from OsteoStrong. Supporting scienti� c data and countless personal testimonies are making OsteoStrong® the best choice for strong bones, muscles and balance in the world.

Julie’s most recent bone density scans show that OsteoStrong work-

outs are working well for her.

Reverse Osteoporosis

Once-a-week, 15-minute workouts increase bone density

“My background is in personal growth and spiritual development,” Julie relates. “I take a holistic approach to what I do, helping people in areas such as health, well-being, � nances, per-sonal relationships, self-expression and spiritual development.”

As part of her own personal develop-ment program, Julie, 60, rides a road bike to stay physically � t. She recently su� ered through a bad tumble from that bike that resulted in a broken pelvis and clavicle and a revelation that took her by surprise.

“While I was healing up from my injuries, my orthopedist suggested I get a bone density scan,” Julie says. “I’d never had one before, so I said okay. Well, the scan comes back, and the numbers showed I have osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia in my neck and hips.”

Found most often in post-menopausal women, osteoporosis is a potentially severe condition in which new bone growth does not keep pace with degeneration and bone mineral density becomes so low that the risk of fracture is markedly increased.

Osteopenia is the precursor to osteo-porosis. About 54 million Americans have

either osteopenia, osteoporosis or low bone mass, which places them at increased risk for osteoporosis, the most serious complication of which is bone breaks.

Osteoporotic bone breaks are most likely to occur in the hip, spine or wrist, but other bones can break too. Osteoporosis can also cause some to lose height as it can also a� ect the vertebrae, which are the bones in the spine, and often leads to a stooped posture.

Considered by many physicians a silent disease, osteoporosis often goes undetected until a bone fracture or change in posture occurs, but it’s not just women who are at risk of developing it.

Statistics show that while one in two women wi l l su� er from an osteoporosis-related frac-ture at some point in their lives, one in four men will suffer from a similar incident. After learning of her diagno-sis, Julie went into attack mode against the disease.

“I’m not the kind of person who gets a diagnosis like that and just collapses,” she says. “I look at it like, I have an issue that I need to take care of now, and I’m going to do that. Except, I didn’t want to go on the medicine the orthopedist was suggesting I take.

“My son did some research and found this place called OsteoStrong. I thought about it for a few days, then got a copy of Florida Health Care News in the mail. � ere was an article in there about OsteoStrong, and I took that as a sign I should give it a try.”

Resistance Yields ResultsA revolutionary program that has helped more than 25,000 people reverse the nega-tive e� ects of osteopenia and osteoporosis, OsteoStrong helps rebuild bone through once-a-week, 15-minute sessions using specialized strengthening equipment.

� is specialized equipment includes four bio-mechanical machines that allow

the user to perform resistance-based pushing and pulling exercises with their arms and/or legs. During these sessions,

the user can s a f e l y e xe r t pressure four to 12 times their body weight.

“� e di� er-ence between our exerc i se e q u i p m e n t and that used at a traditional gym is that o u r e q u i p -

ment is isometric, which means tension is developed without contraction of the muscle,” states Mark Brady, president of OsteoStrong in South Pasadena.

“� ere is no force pushing against you, which means you create the force. On the leg press, for example, I’ve had ladies in their eighties weighing one hundred pounds who can press a thousand pounds. � at’s because it’s isometric.

“For a person who weighs one hundred pounds to develop new bone working out on traditional equipment, they would have to create a resistance of well over four hundred pounds,” Mark continues.

“That simply can’t be done for ninety-nine percent of all people in a gym environment because it involves weights that they couldn’t physically move or, if they could, they’d be at high risk of injury.”

To understand the di� erence, Mark invites people to come in and try the equipment for themselves, noting that his facility in South Pasadena o� ers two free sessions that allow newcomers to experi-ence the OsteoStrong workout.

“� is is an amazing concept that is the culmination of twelve years of research that looked into the body’s own adaptive response to growing new bone and muscle structure and improving the density of the bones we have,” Mark says.

“As a result of that research, it is now a known medical fact that when you put certain forces on the bones, the body responds by growing new bone tissue. And the results of these short workouts are absolutely amazing.

“On average, our studies have found that OsteoStrong improves people’s bone density from three to seven percent a year. Also, people will increase their strength by an average of seventy-three percent over their � rst year at OsteoStrong.”

Mark also points out that similar studies show that doing an OsteoStrong session more than once a week does not promote any additional benefit. As a result, the workouts are not only impact-ful, but time e� cient.

Mark encourages men and women of all ages to accept his invitation to try out the OsteoStrong equipment, because he says it’s important to know that osteopo-rosis is not a disorder that is exclusive to a speci� c age group or gender.

“Osteoporosis is not something that only happens to old people,” he notes. “We have clients from young to old and every-thing in between. And men are not immune. When they start losing their testosterone, their bone loss becomes more rapid.

“In addition to helping them recover from it, OsteoStrong wants to help edu-cate people about bone loss. � e skeletal framework is the most important part of the body and you need to take care of it and be aware of changes to it.”

Doctor RecommendedDetermined to avoid medication but con-vinced that she had to do something to help thwart the advancement of her oste-oporosis and osteopenia, Julie committed to the OsteoStrong program a little more than a year ago.

She’s been visiting the South Pasadena facility once a week ever since and says the workouts have proved to be a perfect match for her work schedule and lifestyle. � e only thing better, she says, are the results she’s getting.

“I recently had another bone density scan and in this one, the numbers in my spine didn’t change,” she says. “� ey were neither up nor down, which is � ne. But the numbers in my neck and hips were both down. So this program is working for me.

“It’s working so well that ever since I told my osteopathic doctor about it, she’s been referring patients to OsteoStrong. She wants people on as little medication as possible and says this program is exactly what people like me need. I could not agree more.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Jordan Pysz. mkbJulie Baum

ome people have a personal trainer to help them stay physically � t. For nearly 30 years now, Julie Baum has been a personal trainer for everything else – a life coach who helps people set and achieve personal, � nancial and lifestyle goals.

OsteoporosisHealthy Bone

OsteoStrong improves bone density from three to seven percent a year.

Page 10 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition South Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 11stem Cell therapy/pain management OsteOpOrOsis treatment

Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, FACS, is a board-certifi ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in refractive cataract surgery. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in , pioneering subspecialty eye care in Pinellas County. Today, as President and Medical Director, Dr. Weinstock is recognized

as a world-renowned cataract and LASIK surgeon. He is one of the few surgeons in the country certifi ed by the American Board of Eye Surgery in both cataract and LASIK surgery. Dr. Weinstock is also an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida

Robert J. Weinstock, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in cataract, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock joined the practice in . He is the Director of Cataract and Refractive Services at The Eye Institute of West Florida and The Weinstock Laser Eye Center. He also serves as the Surgical Director of the Largo Ambulatory Surgery Center. He is the Chief Medical Editor of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today. In addition to performing thou-sands of vision-correcting cataract and LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is contin-uously engaged in clinical research to evaluate new technology. He has authored multiple book chapters on cataract surgery and continues to write many journal articles on cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock is also an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida.

Neel R. Desai, MD, is a board-certifi ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in corneal disease, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Desai completed his fel-lowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. He is recognized throughout the country as one of only surgeons able to perform advanced corneal transplants. Dr. Desai is the Co-Medical Director of Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research and is on the editorial board of EyeWorld Magazine. He has authored numerous

book chapters. Additionally, he holds pending patents on new surgical products and advanced corneal surgical procedures of his own design.

The Eye Institute of West Florida has set aside special LASIK consultations for Florida Health Care News readers. Just call and mention this article for one of these special appointments.

(727) 914-5064

STEPHEN M. WEINSTOCK, MD, FACSJEFFREY S. SCHWARTZ, MD

LEONARD S. KIRSCH, MD, FRCS (C)RICHARD J. HAIRSTON, MD, FACS

ROBERT J. WEINSTOCK, MDNEEL R. DESAI, MD

JASMINE MOHADJER, MDJANIE A. HO, MD

STEVEN E. KANE, MDSANDRA M. JOHNSON, MDVASILIOS F. DIAKONIS, MD

SIDDARTH RATHI, M.D.

Custom LASIK CONSULTATIONS

For more information, please visit www.eyespecialist.com

Physicians Turn for Vision CorrectionLASIK® surgery corrects dry eyes, hazy vision and headaches

A s she worked her way through college, the thought of follow-ing in the footsteps of her father – noted glaucoma specialist

Je� rey S. Schwartz, MD – crossed Danielle Schwartz-Wooster’s mind. But only brie� y. She wanted to do something in the health � eld, so she decided to become a dentist.

to the Experts

“My best friend’s father is a dentist, and after shadowing him at work for a while, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” says Danielle, who now practices in South Carolina, where her work often forces her to wear a specialized pair of glasses that magnify everything she sees in her

patients’ mouths. She recently learned that wearing those glasses can have some disadvantages as well.

“I wear contact lenses, and when I’m working, I have a tendency to get so focused on what I’m doing that I forget to blink,” Danielle explains. “Because of that, my eyes were constantly drying out, and my vision was getting hazy.

“� ere were even times, especially after a long day at work, where I’d come home, and my eyes were still dry and itchy. I was also starting to get a lot of headaches. So when I went back home last year, I decided to get a check-up.”

The Right Time As she usually does, Danielle received that check-up at � e Eye Institute of West Florida, where her father and cousin, Robert J. Weinstock, MD, work. After the exam, Danielle heard a familiar refrain from the two eye specialists.

“They’ve been telling me for years to get rid of my glasses and contacts and have LASIK surgery,” Danielle says. “I’ve thought about it, but I was always too scared. After giving it a lot of consideration, I thought, maybe it’s time to do it.”

LASIK surgery is a laser-assisted type of refractive outpatient surgery in which the corneas of the eyes are permanently reshaped, thereby eliminating the need for glasses or contact lenses.

A typical candidate for LASIK sur-gery is someone between the ages of 18 and 40 who is nearsighted, mean-ing they need glasses or contacts to see clearly in the distance. Danielle met all the criteria, and more.

“She was wear ing magni fy -ing glasses on top of her contacts at work, and that was making it tough for her to have high-quality vision,” Dr. Weinstock states. “So, there was no question in my mind that LASIK surgery would work well for her.

“Another great thing about LASIK surgery is that it reduces the risk of infection you get every time you put a contact lens in your eye. There’s about a one in five hundred chance you can get an eye infection that way, and LASIK eliminates that.”

As he does with all potential LASIK patients, Dr. Weinstock began his work with Danielle by performing a series of tests to determine her candidacy. � e tests measure the shape and thickness of the cornea and check for retinal damage, cat-aracts and glaucoma.

“Danielle qualified perfectly for LASIK,” Dr. Weinstock reports. “We came up with a plan to perform the surgery on both eyes, which would eliminate her near-sightedness, reshape the corneas and leave her with 20/20 distance vision in both eyes.

“And because she’s so young, the lenses inside her eyes still � ex very well,

which means she can still read up close without glasses. After surgery, she would have the best of both worlds, meaning she wouldn’t need glasses or contacts for dis-tance vision or reading.”

Quick, Painless Procedure LASIK surgery can be performed in a matter of minutes, but because of her work schedule, Danielle waited until the week of the July 4th holiday to have her LASIK surgery performed. The experience, she says, was even better than she expected.

“I had a lot of anxiety going into the surgery,” Danielle con� des. “Even though I really wanted it, the idea was still very terrifying for me. But Dr. Weinstock and his team talked me through the entire process and were very comforting.

“It surprised me how soothing and relaxing it was for me just to hear their voices during the procedure. It helped to

make what I know is a very detailed and complex procedure seem like it was one of the easiest things I’d ever been through.

“The surgery goes pretty quickly, and the whole thing is painless. It was a really great experience, and the results are incredible. My eyes aren’t drying out any-more, I’m not getting the headaches and my vision is a lot sharper.

“When I went back to work about a week after the surgery, I could tell right away my vision was much sharper. It was absolutely a great experience that I de� -nitely recommend.

“And, of course, I’m going to recom-mend seeing Dr. Weinstock at � e Eye Institute of West Florida. He and his team are very professional. � ey didn’t treat me any di� erently than they would any other patient, and I liked that.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo courtesy of The Eye

Institute of West Florida. mkb

Danielle Schwartz-Wooster and

Robert J. Weinstock, MD

Page 12 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | South Pinellas County Edition OphthalmOlOgy