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North and Central Pinellas County Edition

FEATURED ARTICLES

Winter 2019

(see Restore Youth and Vitality, page 4)

L isa Tomarelli is a registered nurse who works as clinical support for the sales team of a biologics company. Even

when she’s traveling, the 50ish nurse � nds time to work out and keep her body in shape for the many bikini competitions she enters. When she began putting on weight despite working out, she suspected the problem, and the answer.

“As a registered nurse, I taught bio-natural hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT, � fteen years ago for a local pharmacist in Sarasota,” relates the Scranton, Pennsylvania native. “When I was teaching and doing research on BHRT, I thought, I’ll probably benefit from this when the time comes.

“About � ve years ago, I started put-ting on weight. I was exercising, so that shouldn’t have been happening. I was also beginning to get a little moody and having some night sweats, and I could see other symptoms coming. I said, I know I’m perimenopausal. I should prob-ably seek out treatment before I actually swing to the other side.”

Initially, Lisa tried to in� uence her system by making changes to her diet and taking over-the-counter supplements to try to balance her estrogen levels. None of that worked, however, and she wasn’t convinced that the creams the doctors in Sarasota were o� ering her were the most e� ective method of BHRT delivery. So, she did more research, discovered pellet therapy, then looked further to find a pellet therapy provider nearby.

“I went back and forth to Tampa a lot, so I Googled who did pellet ther-apy in Tampa,” she states. “I found In� nity Medical Institute. � e sta� at

Lisa Tomarelli

In� nity Medical Institute is very good at explaining what they do, and so I decided to start going there.”

Matching HormonesInfinity Medical Institute offers bio-natural L3 pellet hormone replacement therapy, the most natural and e� ective solution for hormone-related issues.

“ Through In f in i t y Med ica l Institute’s bio-natural L3 pellet hor-mone replacement therapy, patients such as Lisa achieve consistent absorp-tion of the proper, predictable levels of the hormones their bodies require for optimum health through the sim-ple insertion of a pellet approximately every three to five months,” explains Moriah R. Moffitt, MD, staff physi-cian at Infinity Medical Institute.

The pellets used in bio-natural L3

pellet hormone replacement therapy are derived from wild yam plants, a natural plant material that’s molecularly changed in structure and function for a 98 per-cent bio-identical match to the body’s own composition. Synthetic hormones, by contrast, can be as little as six to eight percent bio-identical.

“Hormones a� ect everything, includ-ing our growth through childhood, our sexual development, our moods, how we break down our food, sleep patterns, stress, how much weight we gain – just about every function in the body, big and small,”

informs Dr. Mo� tt. “� ey also play a role in many health conditions such as diabetes, an over- or underactive thyroid, osteoporo-sis, obesity, anxiety and depression.

“Our bio-natural L3 pellet hormone therapy helps to give us an edge as we provide patients with a product that’s all natural, and we stand behind it. It’s the most e� ective hormone treatment on the market because it’s naturally replenishing normal hormones with biologically iden-tical hormones that the body is used to seeing rather than synthetic versions of the hormones.”

Comprehensive evaluations of over-all health are performed prior to the pellets being administered. � is ensures that the patient is receiving the proper amount of hormones.

“We want to be sure that the treat-ment we administer is going to be the overall best course of action for that patient,” Dr. Mo� tt observes. “We’re very thorough with the labs at every visit in order to see what has changed, and what needs to be altered.

“We want to be sure every patient is feeling the best they possibly can. We not only look at their labs, but we look at their overall health because other issues, like diabetes or high blood pressure, can a� ect how the treatment is administered.”

“I was perimenopausal for the � rst two years I went to In� nity Medical Institute before actually becoming menopausal,” Lisa states. “I decided to start treatment there before I reached the point where I gained twenty pounds, was really moody, had hot � ashes, night sweats and other symptoms.

Restore Youth

and VitalityFeel younger, stronger and sexier with BHRT

ZMD Center for Face & Body Rejuvenation

Take a Seat

Physical Medicine Center, Inc.Second Honeymoon

Rejuvenate Your Life Balancing Act

Coastal Jaw SurgerySingle-Session Smiles

Regenerative Orthopedic Institute

Skip the Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine CareTriple Threat

The Eye Institute of

West Florida

6Rolling Back the Years

Don’t Play the Waiting Game

Back in Touch

2Noel S.

Tenenbaum, MD, P.A.

12Knoblach Hearing

Care

Bio-Natural HormoNe replacemeNt tHerapy

NOEL S. TENENBAUM, MD, P.A.

Learn more at www.drnoeltenenbaum.com

Noel S. Tenenbaum, MD, is board certi� ed by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He graduated Cum Laude with an undergraduate degree in biochem-istry from Union College in Schenectady, New York and received his medical training at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Tenenbaum com-pleted his � ve-year general surgery residency in 1991 at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY. He completed his plastic surgery residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He was awarded fellowship training in aesthetic and craniofacial surgery under the direction of Dr. Daniel Marchac in

Paris, France. Dr. Tenenbaum has published 13 articles in medical journals and publications, and his studies have been presented at 13 medical conferences and scienti� c meetings.

Options abound for those seeking change through cosmetic surgery

Amiee Rothrock is one of those people for whom age is just a number. She’s 66, but she bounces through each day

with a youthful exuberance fueled by a quest for adventure that a lot of people half her age lost years ago.

Dr. Tenenbaum provides an array of professional surgical and nonsurgical

services, including: � Smartlipo Triplex � Facelifts & Facial Rejuvenation � Upper & Lower Eyelid Lifts � Breast Augmentation � Breast Reductions � Breast Lift � Abdominoplasty � PicoSure® Laser

Tattoo Removal � Dermal Fillers � Dysport® � Chemical Peels

Amiee looks and feels younger after her procedure.

Be Your Best SelfDr. Noel S. Tenenbaum has established himself as a leader in the cosmetic surgery and body contouring field. If you are ready to transform your body and find the self-confidence you’ve been dreaming of, call or visit his offi ce in Dunedin at:

2323 Curlew Rd.Suite 6B

(727) 786-6921

“I feel very energetic on the inside,” says Amiee, an accomplished business development manager who still works for a local title company. “I’m willing to explore new things and new ways of doing things and looking at things.

“I just feel very youthful, and you’ll � nd that most of my friends are honestly quite a bit younger than me – ten to fifteen years younger, actually. I think that’s because I just seem to be more of that kind of a mindset.

“And I’m very happy and content with where I am in life. I love my family, I love my job and the work that I do, and so every day, I want to show o� the best version of me that I can, the best version of Amiee.”

It was only recently that Amiee truly began showing off that best version of herself. What was missing previously, she admits, was an appearance that matched her youthful exuberance. A visit to Noel S. Tenenbaum, MD, took care of that.

“I � rst went to see him on a friend’s recommendation,” Amiee says of Dr. Tenenbaum, a board-certifiedcosmetic surgeon who has established himself as a leader in the cosmetic surgery and body contouring � eld.

“It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but I was always too busy to take care of it,” Amiee adds. “Just recently, however, I decided it was time to � nd a way to make this happen. I wanted to look more like I feel on the inside.”

A Variety of OptionsUpon hearing of Amiee’s goals, Dr. Tenenbaum began his work by � rst explaining the various ways in which he could improve the loose skin she had across her face, including in the eyelids, the jawline and the neckline.

One of the options Dr. Tenenbaum mentioned was a mini facelift, in which only the skin on the face is tightened

through a process that includes pulling and tightening the fat and cheek pad areas, which are made of fat and muscle.

Dr. Tenenbaum performs mini facelifts in his o� ce after administering a local anesthetic. It is one of a grow-ing number o f techniques he now per forms under loca l anes thes ia and requires mini-mal post-operative downtime.

“I also perform eyelid surgeries and minimal-incision brow lifts under local anesthesia,” Dr. Tenenbaum explains. “I also do something called Smartlipo® Triplex®, which is a laser-assisted liposuction treatment for the abdomen, thighs or neck under local anesthesia.

“� e patients are all awake during these procedures, and they walk out of the treatment room about � ve minutes after they’re done. � ey don’t have any kind of long-term or even full-day recovery as you do with a general anesthetic.

“� ose procedures are obviously a bit simpler and easier to recover from, and the other part of that is they are less expensive

and more cost e� ective because the patient doesn’t have to go to the surgery center and be placed under general anesthesia.”

Magic HandsDespite the many advantages associated with the mini facelift, Amiee opted to do a full facelift, which includes tightening the neck area. She says a simple touch applied during her initial consultation with Dr. Tenenbaum was what sold her on

the procedure.“I went in for my initial appointment

with Dr. Tenenbaum, and from the very start, I really liked his demeanor,” Amiee asserts. “I liked his manner. I liked the way he looked at me and listened to me, because I explained to him that I really did like me.

“I told him that I really do like the way I look and that I didn’t really want to change that part of it. I just wanted to look the way I feel. And he said, Okay, and he put his hands on my face, and it was like he had magic hands.

“He pulled upward in one direction

very gently, and it was perfect. At that moment, I thought, � is man knows what he’s doing, and so I went ahead and said, Yes, I want to do the surgery.”

Dr. Tenenbaum, who performs approximately 600 cosmetic procedures a year, describes his work on Amiee as “pretty straightforward,” meaning he tightened the muscles and eliminated the excess fat beneath the skin of her face and along the jawline and neckline.

“From there, it’s just a matter of elevat-ing the skin to make sure everything is tight and symmetrical,” he adds. “And Amiee did fine. She did very well in terms of recovery right from the get-go because she was very compliant with our instructions.”

Outstanding ResultsIn the wake of performing a full facelift, doctors typically ask patients to get plenty of rest and to keep their heads elevated as much as possible to minimize swelling and bruising. In Aimee’s case, those sug-gestions worked wonders.

“The recovery was very, very fast,” Amiee con� rms. “I was very happy with how Dr. Tenenbaum took care of me afterward, the way he followed up on my recovery and how he addressed all of my questions. He checked and checked and checked on me to make sure everything was going the way it should.

“It’s probably been three or four months now since I had the surgery, and the results are exactly what I was expect-ing. I’m very, very pleased, and it’s kind of funny because everybody notices the di� er-ence, but they think I’ve maybe been going to a di� erent hairdresser or something.

“� ey tell me, Amiee, you look great. What’s really interesting is that my hair-dresser actually said to me that a lot of women have come in and asked her what I had done and where did I go and could I get some cards from Dr. Tenenbaum and leave them here with her so that she can give them his name.

“Of course, I said, Yes, I’d be happy to. I de� nitely recommend Dr. Tenenbaum to anyone who might be looking to have some-thing like this done because he was absolutely great throughout the entire process.

“He was always very calm and reassur-ing, and not in a placating way. He was open about what was going to happen, and when he came to see me just before the surgery, he left me with a very comfortable feeling that he knew exactly what he was doing.

“I knew all along I was in good hands, and the results prove it.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Jordan Pysz.

Before and after images courtesy of Dr. Tenenbaum. mkb

Before After

Page 2 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition plastic & recoNstructive surgery

Five months ago, Anna Nico caught a miserable cold. With it she developed a deep, intense cough. She realized it was a

complication of the cold with her exist-ing breathing problems. What she didn’t understand was why her back hurt so badly every time she coughed.

“I couldn’t pinpoint the pain, but it was awful. It felt like my whole back was on � re,” she describes. “Each time I coughed, I got this pounding pain in my back. It was like I was su� ocating.

“The pain was excruciating, and I couldn’t get out of bed. One time, it took my husband and son thirty-� ve minutes to get me up. After that, I slept in a chair for four months.

“I went to my lung doctor, who gave me something for my cough. When I explained about my back pain, he told me I needed to get it checked out; it didn’t sound like it was related to the cough. He gave me a prescription, and I went and got an x-ray.”

� e x-ray showed A n n a’s p r o b l e m clearly. She had two compression fractures in her thoracic verte-brae. A compression fracture is a break in a spinal vertebra, which collapses onto the one below it. As a result, spinal nerves get pinched, causing pain and weakness.

Right away, Anna sought help from the doctor who’d been treating her sciat-ica pain, Gerald E. Trimble, MD, who is a board-certified pain management practitioner. His practice is Minimally Invasive Spine Care, which has o� ces in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Identifying the SourceAfter consulting Dr. Trimble about her back pain, he con� rmed Anna su� ered from vertebral compression fractures. Dr. Trimble typically treats the fracture

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE CAREGERALD E. TRIMBLE, MD

MISC

For more information, please visit www.west� painmanagement.com

D r. Tr i m b l e w e l c o m e s questions regarding the advanced treatment options available at M inimally Invasive Spine Care. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call or visit one of his o� ces:

Clearwater N. Belcher Rd.

Suite A

St. Petersburg th St. South

Suite

(727) 553-7313

Helping You Feel Better

Gerald E. Trimble, MD, is board certi� ed by the American Board of Anesthesiology. After receiving his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, he completed a transitional internship at Michigan State University and Edward W. Sparrow Hospital and a residency in anesthesiology at the University of South Florida, where he served as chief resident and was awarded a fellowship in pain management. Dr. Trimble was awarded a certi� cate of additional quali� cation in pain management by the American Board of Anesthesiology. He is a diplomate of

the American Board of Anesthesiologists, and a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Florida Society of Anesthesiologists and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and has published and lectured on numerous pain management topics.

Three valuable

advantages of kyphoplasty

with conservative measures, such as a back brace or management through medication.

“Vertebral fractures can sometimes be treated conservatively,” con� rms Dr. Trimble, “because some will eventually heal on their own. With a patient whose symptoms are mild, or who is essentially asymptomatic, we prescribe a back brace to postpone or elimi-nate the need for additional treatment.

“If the fracture compresses further – or if the patient does not improve – we don’t hesitate to recommend taking more aggressive action to alleviate the pain.”

To some degree, acute pain can be bene� cial, observes Dr. Trimble. It serves as a warning signal that a medical con-dition needs to be addressed. “Chronic pain, however, serves no purpose except to make you uncomfortable – even miserable,” he elaborates.

“At our practice, we view chronic pain as a disease process, not merely a symp-tom to be tolerated as part of an underlying

condition. Our first objective is always to determine where the pain originates and then apply specific techniques to treat it.

“ O n c e t h e source of pain – the pain generator – has been identi-� ed, the underlying pain mechanism is addressed and the treatment sched-uled. In each case, we approach pain relief with the least invasive methods available, with the

goal of postponing – or even eliminat-ing – the need for invasive surgery.”

“Dr. Trimble checked my x-ray and ordered other tests, including blood work. He’s very thorough,” notes Anna. “He’s also very compassionate and understanding, and he knows what he’s doing. He decided to do an injection procedure on me.”

� e procedure he chose stabilizes the fracture and eases pain. It’s called kyphoplasty.

Refi ned TechniqueDr. Trimble reports that newer technology enables surgeons to provide a fast, e� ective solution to vertebral compression fractures.

“We now o� er kyphoplasty, which is proving to be valuable in three key areas – providing signi� cant pain relief, stabilizing the fracture and re-establishing much of the lost vertebral body height.”

Kyphoplasty is actually a re� nement of a procedure called vertebroplasty, and offers additional advantages. During kyphoplasty, a balloon is inserted into the fractured vertebra that elevates the com-pressed bone. � is helps return the spine to a more natural position. � e newly created space allows for the injection of fast-drying bone cement, which helps achieve the correction in the deformity of the vertebra.

“As we in� ate the balloon, we can often reproduce much of the height in the bone,”

informs Dr. Trimble. “� e other advantage to the balloon is that it pushes the healthy bone to the periphery, leaving a cavity that can then be � lled with bone cement.”

“During the procedure, Dr. Trimble told me exactly what he was doing,” states Anna. “He said, Now you’re going to feel a little pinch. Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be okay. I felt a little pinch when the needle went in, and that was it. � e procedure wasn’t painful.”

The doctor adds that kyphoplasty is an improvement over its predecessor, vertebroplasty.

“Vertebroplasty is an injection of cement without in� ating a balloon into the area � rst,” he explains. “It doesn’t attempt to correct the deformity. Secondly, vertebroplasty requires us to put slightly more pressure on the cement in order to get it between the cracks of the fracture. Consequently, I prefer kyphoplasty to vertebroplasty.

“With kyphoplasty, the bone cement hardens quickly, stabilizing the fracture, and the stability from the cement o� ers signi� cant pain relief for

the patient – usually within hours of the procedure or even sooner.”

Up and RunningKyphoplasty was an excellent option for Anna. Now when she coughs, she doesn’t feel the � ery pain in her back. Like many patients, she felt relief quickly and was soon able to be active again.

“After the procedure, I went home and I was walking,” she enthuses. “� e nurses told me to put ice on my back, so I did, and it was � ne. I was up and run-ning the next day. Before the kyphoplasty, my pain ranked about a nine out of ten. Afterward, it was zero.”

Today, Anna sleeps in a bed. She suf-fers minor discomfort in her back, but it’s likely related to the osteoporosis she battles. Osteoporosis puts her at risk for additional compression fractures. If that happens, she knows the right treatment and where to get it.

“I really like Minimally Invasive Spine Care and Dr. Trimble,” she says. “I’d recommend him to anyone!” FHCN staff article. Photo by Jordan Pysz. nj

After kyphoplasty, Anna can play for hours without pain.

“Before the kyphoplasty,

my pain ranked about a nine out

of ten. Afterward,

it was zero.”

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 3miNimally iNvasive spiNe care

(continued from page 1)

For more information, please visit www.in� nitymedicalinstitute.com

Moriah R. Mo� tt, MD, is the sta� physician at In� nity Medical Institute, Inc. Dr. Mo� tt earned her medical degree from The Ohio State University, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She also attended the University of South Florida Plastic Surgery Program. She has received board certi� cation from the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery.

Look Good, Feel Great

The experienced sta� at In� nity Medical Institute looks forward to working with you. They are located in Tampa at:

N. Westshore Blvd.Suite

(813) 871-2929

“Now, I go back to In� nity Medical Institute every three months and based on where my hormone levels are, we adjust the pellets. � ey talk with me, and we’re in constant collaboration on whether a hormone needs to go up or come down, if I need more or less of something. � ey’ve been very good at working with me.”

From the Inside OutDr. Mo� tt and the In� nity Medical Institute sta� truly care about each patient and take the time to get to know the person they’re treating.

“Every patient is unique, and we understand that,” notes Dr. Mo� tt. “We get to know each one and understand their lifestyle so we can treat them appropriately.”

“At In� nity Medical Institute, we’ve been o� ering bio-natural pellet hormone therapy for nine years,” comments Mike Montemurro, president of In� nity Medical Institute. “We take an extensive thera-peutic approach. We customize the treatment for each patient, and we use a superior-quality product. We cater to our patients, and make sure they get the best possible care, as well as exceptional results.

“We work very closely with everyone to optimize and restore their hormone levels to what they were when they were in their prime – back in their twenties. � at’s our goal, and that’s why we get such signi� cant results for our patients.”

Mike notes that people often reach middle age and start experi-encing symptoms such as lack of energy, di� culty sleeping and loss of sex drive and strength.

“When these symptoms start occurring, people need to visit us at In� nity Medical Institute and have their hormones checked,” he emphasizes. “Once we get their hormone levels optimized with the bio-natural L3 pellet hormone replacement therapy, their lives will change signi� cantly for the better.”

“Many people come in saying they’re not feeling vibrant, ener-getic, and they have other symptoms,” adds Dr. Mo� tt. “Our aim for those seeking hormone replacement is to make them feel good from the inside out.”

High EnergyBio-natural L3 pellet hormone replacement therapy at In� nity Medical Institute was a good treatment choice for Lisa. It took away her uncomfortable menopausal symptoms and left her feeling energized.

“With pellet therapy, my energy level is very high,” she marvels. “After a full day’s work, I have enough energy to work out six days a week at a pretty high intensity level. It enables me to maintain my weight so I can compete in bikini competitions and win � rst place in my age category.

“I tell the In� nity Medical Institute sta� that I couldn’t compete if I didn’t have my hormones balanced in order to sustain the energy and the muscle I’ve built. I’m operating like I’m in my thirties.”

With a careful diet, routine exercise and her hormones balanced, Lisa can easily keep the weight o� . She feels good now, and she gives a lot of the credit to the bio-natural L3 pellet therapy.

“� ey always said in nursing school, When one hormone is o� , they’re all o� , and that can a� ect a lot of things in your life,” she states. “I don’t have any more night sweats. I haven’t had them since my � rst pellet therapy. I’m not moody. I don’t have any menopausal symptoms, and I feel bad for women who go through them and don’t seek out this therapy.”

Lisa doesn’t think any woman should have to go through the negative symptoms of menopause. She encourages them to seek out pellet therapy at In� nity Medical Institute.

“More and more people are � nding out about BHRT and pellet therapy, and are seeing how much better they can feel,” she says. “Even better, disorders such as cardiac disease and orthopedic issues are preventable by having your hormones in check. I absolutely recommend pellet therapy at In� nity Medical Institute.” FHCN staff article. Photo by Fred Bellet. Bikini photo courtesy of Lisa Tomarelli. mkb

Restore Youth and Vitality

Pellet therapy is helping Lisa stay toned for her bikini competitions.

The O-Shot is a unique treatment for urinary incontinence o� ered at In� nity Medical Institute. It can help reverse the condition’s uncomfortable symptoms.

“Incontinence often a� ects every aspect of a woman’s life, from her sleep patterns to her personal interactions,” reports Dr. Mo� tt. “� e O-Shot helps to tighten, or strengthen, the bladder muscles and stop the leakage.

“� ere are far too many women experiencing incontinence issues when they cough, laugh or sneeze, and we want them to know there is help available.”

Most women have a series of shots, usually a total of three, averaging one injection every three months, explains the doctor. Many experience a 90-percent improvement after the third shot, and typically, a vast improvement soon after the � rst shot.

Dr. Mo� tt assures patients that the procedure is pain free and there are no side e� ects.

“We make sure patients are comfortable, well informed and at ease with the procedure before and during the treatment,” she stresses. “� ere is never any pain, and the results are felt very quickly.”

In� nity Medical Institute has also expanded its services to include CO2 laser treatments, microneedling, chemical peels, vaginal rejuvenation and weight-loss programs.

� e newer procedures being o� ered, notes Mike, are part of what makes In� nity Medical Institute a success.

“We want to provide more options for our patients, and I think we are well on our way toward doing that,” he says. “� is is all done in an e� ort to provide the most up-to-date services available for a wide range of patient needs.”

The O-Shot® and More

Page 4 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition

Barry LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloAnnette MardisEditorial Staff

Laura EngelProduction Assistant

Nerissa JohnsonGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszFred BelletPhotography

Steve TurkMario Hill

Kent BoothRobert Mize

Anthony Perera Distribution

Infinity Medical InstituteBio-Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

Noel S. Tenenbaum, MD, P.A.Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine CareMinimally Invasive Spine Care

Coastal Jaw SurgeryOral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The Eye Institute of West FloridaOphthalmology

Rejuvenate Your LifeWeight Loss

Regenerative Orthopedic InstituteStem Cell Therapy/ Pain Management

Physical Medicine Center, Inc.Erectile Dysfunction/PRP Therapy

ZMD Center for Face & Body Rejuvenation

MediSpa

Knoblach Hearing CareHearing Health Care

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

Florida Health Care News

Florida Health Care News is published by Florida Health Care News, Inc.

Florida Health Care News, Inc., reserves the right to decline any advertising/marketing article.

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FOR ALL health care professionals having

articles in this publication: THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON

RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE

REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT WHICH IS

PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF, AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO, THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR A FREE,

DISCOUNTED OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT.

Winter 2019

BHrt

are affiliated with five area hospitals and are members and o� cers of numerous professional organizations, including the Florida Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons; American and Florida Dental Societies of Anesthesiology; American, Florida, West Coast, West Pasco, Upper Pinellas, and Hernando County Dental Associations; Academy of Osseointegration; and American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Additionally, the doctors sponsor dental implant study clubs for the area’s general dentists.

The Doctors at Coastal Jaw Surgery

See educational videos at www.CoastalJaw.com

BEFORE

AFTER

1. High school class president and valedictorian2. Summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa – The

Ohio State University3. Completed dental degree with honors from

Ohio State College of Dentistry4. Board-certi� ed oral and maxillofacial surgeon5. Diplomate, American Board of Oral and

Maxillofacial Surgery6. Diplomate, American Board of Oral

Implantology/Implant Dentistry7. Diplomate, International Congress of Oral

Implantologists8. Has completed over 5,000 hours of continu-

ing studies9. Aaron Gershko� Memorial Award for out-

standing contributions in implant dentistry10. Founded Coastal Jaw Surgery (1983)11. Has placed more than 20,000 dental implants12. First in Tampa Bay area to acquire cone beam

computed tomography equipment13. Founder of the Pikos Institute14. Has taught more than 3,500 dentists – at least

one from 43 di� erent countries and each of the 50 United States – surgical techniques relating to dental implants, bone grafting and soft-tissue grafting

15. Named Dentistry Today Leader in continuing education 2008 – 2017

16. Founder of Pinnacle Study Club in 198817. Serves on the Editorial Board of the following

journals: Implant Dentistry, Inside Dentistry, the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry and the Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry

18. Scientific board member of Implant News Magazine

19. International educator and lecturer on dental implant reconstruction

20. Consultant for international surgical and regenerative technology-based companies

21. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, and Nova Southeastern University School of Medicine; Courtesy Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Periodontics, University of Florida College of Dentistry; and Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, University of Florida College of Dentistry

22. Named Health Care Hero by Tampa Bay Business Journal

23. Direct a� liation with Sheri� ’s Youth Ranch, Gulf Coast Dental Outreach and St. Jude’s Research Hospital

24. Advisor to the Board for the Shepherd Center of Tarpon Springs, Florida

25. Recipient of the 2015 Saul Schluger Award for Top Educator Seattle Study Club

MICHAEL A. PIKOS, DDSJOSÉ F. LÁZARO, DMD

KENNETH L. ANDERSON, DDSLINDSEY PIKOS ROSATI, DDS, MS

PHILIP J. HEDGER, DMD, MSJASON B. BLUNDELL, DDS

Palm Harbor 2711 Tampa Rd.

(727) 786-1631

Trinity Hawbuck Street(727) 375-0469

Same Day Teeth8740 Mitchell Blvd.

(800) NEW-LOOKOutside Florida: 727-877-0011

Spring Hill 4372 Commercial Way, Suite 4

(352) 596-6804

Improve Your Bite!Coastal Jaw Surgery, The Center for Dental Implants/Facial & Oral Reconstruction, welcomes calls regarding this article and other oral surgical topics. Download

free reports at www.coastaljaw.com. For a free brochure about

dental implants or to schedule a complimentary consultation and

CT scan, please call or visit any of their locations:

Facts You Need to Know About Dr. Pikos

Single-Session SmilesUnique protocol restores appearance and self-con� dence in one visit

B efore retiring in October 2017, Jo Ann Forcino was supervisor of student services for the Hernando County

School District. In that role, she inter-acted with many individuals, and she possessed the poise and con� dence to do her job successfully.

Back in 2014, however, Jo Ann didn’t have that same level of con� dence. At the time, the Bronx, New York native was experiencing serious dental issues that robbed her of her oral health and her smile, which a� ected her self-esteem.

“My gums hurt and bled,” she con� des. “My teeth started to become loose and moved while chewing. Eating wasn’t always pleasant because I never knew what would happen with my teeth. I avoided hard-to-chew foods like hard rolls and Italian bread.

“I lost a couple of teeth, so there were obvious spaces in my mouth. My teeth also became discolored from a rinse I was using to treat the gum disease. I totally lacked con� dence because of the way my teeth looked. I didn’t want to smile. I covered my mouth because I didn’t want people to see my teeth.”

Jo Ann went to sev-eral dentists, who all told her she had periodontal disease. Because her gum disease was advanced, she was warned she would continue losing teeth. � ey also said she was not a candidate for dental implants because she lacked su� cient bone in her jaw.

Living in Spring Hill, Jo Ann had heard about board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon Michael A. Pikos, DDS, of Coastal Jaw Surgery, who is a global leader in dental implants and surgical reconstruction. She hadn’t vis-ited him previously because she already received identical diagnoses from other dentists. � en, she saw a news-paper article about a unique process Dr. Pikos o� ers called Same Day Teeth®, and she reconsidered.

“A copy of Florida Health Care News came in the mail,” she remembers. “I read the article about Dr. Pikos and Same Day Teeth and thought, Maybe Dr. Pikos can help me.

“I love the way my teeth look. Same Day Teeth gave me back my smile

and increased my self-esteem.” – Jo Ann

“When I went for my initial appointment, Dr. Pikos was very up-front, and he presented many options. Treatment wasn’t this or nothing, and it was my decision to make. I liked that. I made the decision for Same Day Teeth for both my upper and lower jaw.”

Planned ProtocolSame Day Teeth is an excel lent option for people with gum disease, decay, bone loss and teeth that are better served being removed, observes Dr. Pikos. Using this protocol, the oral surgeon can remove the teeth, posi-tion the dental implants and place permanent teeth in a single visit.

“To begin the Same Day Teeth process, we work with a laboratory out of Reno, Nevada, and together we use proprietary software to do a virtual workup for the patients,” he describes. “We operate using that as the plan, and it allows us to complete every step in one surgical session.”

Same Day Teeth has advantages over traditional dentures, even those secured by dental implants.

eating Italian bread again, make her happy. She credits her comeback to the single-session process.

“It’s the best thing I ever did for myself,” she reports. “I love the way my teeth look. Same Day Teeth gave me back my smile and increased my self-esteem. When I had the procedure done, I imme-diately felt my con� dence return.”

Since reading the article about Dr. Pikos and Same Day Teeth, Jo Ann has become a dedicated patient of Coastal Jaw Surgery. Even though she and her husband are relocat-ing and will be a distance away from Dr. Pikos, she still plans to make the drive to visit him.

“We are moving to Winter Garden, which is in Orange

County, but I will be continuing with Dr. Pikos for my check-ups and follow-up appointments,” veri� es Jo Ann. “I will and have recommended him. When peo-ple ask me where I went to have my teeth done, I tell them, To Dr. Pikos at Coastal Jaw Surgery!”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz.

Before and after images courtesy of Coastal Jaw Surgery. mkb

Jo Ann’s new smile gives her more self-confi dence.

“If we use the traditional approach for patients like Jo Ann, and we always give them that option, we extract the teeth and replace them with implants,” he elab-orates. “Many times, patients may also need bone grafting in advance of placing the implants and possibly root canal or periodontal treatments as well.

“For those patients, the traditional approach requires many dental disci-plines to complete the work, so there are increases in cost and time. Many are in treatment for a year or more before the process is completed. � en, they still have those remaining natural teeth, which can be problematic later.”

With Same Day Teeth, all of the fail-ing teeth are removed, so there are none to cause issues later. Also, additional procedures such as bone grafting and gum disease treatment aren’t necessary to a successful outcome.

Returned Confi denceJo Ann left Dr. Pikos’ office ecstatic after her Same Day Teeth were done. � e look of her teeth made her feel like a new person. Even simple things, like

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 5oral aNd maxillofacial surgery

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

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

ROBERT J. WEINSTOCK, MDKEVIN C. GREENIDGE, MD, MPH, FACS

NEEL R. DESAI, MDJASMINE MOHADJER, MD

JANIE A. HO, MDSANDRA M. JOHNSON, MD

STEVEN F. KANE, MDVASILIOS F. DIAKONIS, MD

Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, FACS, is a board-certi� ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in refractive cataract surgery. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in 1974, 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 certi� 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-certi� ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in cataract, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock joined the practice in 2001. 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 thousands of vision-correcting cataract and LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nation-ally and internationally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is continuously 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 fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in corneal disease, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Desai completed his fellowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. He is recognized throughout the country as one of only 100 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.

For more information, please visit www.eyespecialist.com

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people older than 40 and the principal

cause of blindness in the world. More than 30 million Americans are expected to have cataracts by 2020.

� e lens of the eye works similar to a camera lens, focusing light onto the ret-ina to achieve clear vision. � e lens also adjusts the eye’s focus to allow people to see up close and at a distance.

Lying behind the iris and the pupil, the lens is made up pri-marily of water and protein. The pro-tein is arranged in such a way that the lens stays clear and a l lows light to pass through it. But as part of the nat-ural aging

process, the protein begins to clump together and cloud a portion of the lens, resulting in a cataract.

Cataracts start out small and at � rst have little e� ect on vision. Because cata-racts progress slowly, patients sometimes don’t notice they’re having difficulty seeing until it greatly impacts their nor-mal activities. � eir vision may become blurred, akin to looking through a cloudy

piece of glass or viewing an impres-sionist painting. Colors may

appear less bright. Light from the sun, a lamp or oncom-

ing headlights may cause more glare than before.

Over time, the ca ta rac t may obscure more of the lens , reducing the sharpness of t h e i m a g e

reaching the retina.

The caring staff members of The Eye Institute of West Florida welcome your questions. To schedule an appointment, please contact The Eye Institute of West Florida at these convenient locations:

See For Yourself!

The Eye Institute of West Florida hosts many educational seminars in the

Tampa Bay area. Please phone for more information:

(727) 914-5064

Complimentary 3-D Seminar

How Cataracts Develop

N ow that he’s retired, Kevin Reeves has more time to do the things he loves most. For this Dunedin resident, that

means attending Clearwater-Countryside High School football games in the fall and either Dunedin Blue Jays or Tampa Bay Rays baseball games in the spring and summer.

“I’m a huge sports fan,” enthuses the former entrepreneur, who was part owner of a local car-wash business for 21 years and later had a stake in an embroidery business. “I’m one of the few who still show up at the Countryside games; I live only a few miles from where the Blue Jays play, so I go see them a lot; and I really enjoy watching the Rays.”

It was while taking in a Rays game at Tropicana Field a few years ago that Kevin realized he had a serious vision problem in his right eye. � ough he was sitting less than 200 feet away from it in the left-� eld stands, Kevin couldn’t see the dugout or much of what was happening at home plate out of that eye.

Kevin says he can’t believe how clear his vision is since having cataract surgery.

Customized Cataract Consultations

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

“I couldn’t make out anything,” says Kevin, now 62. “Around that same time, I also started to have trouble seeing while driving at night. I eventually had to give up driving by myself at night. Or if I did drive anywhere by myself at night, it would only be to the grocery store, which is less than a mile away. My way of life became very limited.”

Despite the limitations, Kevin put off seeking help for his vision problem, opting instead to simply “deal with it’’ for several years. It wasn’t until last August, after he had “basically become blind” in his right eye, that Kevin finally sought help and then only at the behest of his daughter and primary care physician.

“My daughter and my primary care doctor could both see that there was something wrong with my eye,” Kevin explains. “My daughter had told me that I needed to have something done about it, and then my primary care doctor said the same thing and recommended I go to see Dr. Weinstock.”

Robert J. Weinstock, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cataract and refractive surgeon who has been practicing at � e Eye Institute of West Florida since 2001. Dr. Weinstock is now the director of cataract and refractive services at the center, where Kevin presented with a case more challenging than most.

Whiteout Condition “Kevin had what we cal l a white cataract, which is a cataract that is so bad, it is totally whited out,” Dr. Weinstock i n f o r m s . “ W h e n a cataract gets to that point, it’s very dense and cloudy and thick. � at type of cataract is harder to get out than a cataract that is younger and softer, and that’s an important factor in the visual outcome and heal-ing process.

“When I ’m per-forming cataract surgery, I want there to be the least amount of risk for the patient as possible. I want the surgery to go as smoothly as possible. I want the patient to heal quickly, and a softer, younger cataract puts the odds of that happening in our favor. � at’s why I believe it’s best to have cataracts removed sooner rather than later.”

Cataracts can be removed easily through an outpatient procedure during which the cloudy, natural lens is removed and replaced with an arti� cial intraocular lens, or IOL. Surgeons typically use ultrasound and a laser to break up the cloudy, natural lens. Once that old lens is removed, the intraocular lens is implanted, permanently correcting the vision.

Dr. Weinstock says there was a time when it was standard procedure for eye

surgeons to wait until cataracts had matured before trying to remove them. In the past 30 years, however, advancements in technology have made it easier and safer for surgeons to remove cataracts shortly after they develop.

Dr. Weinstock adds that it is in the best interest of most patients to have their cata-racts removed early in their development. � e reason is that as cataracts develop, they become thicker and cloudier. As Kevin learned, a thicker, cloudier cataract can even-tually rob someone of their desired lifestyle. It can also put them in danger.

“When you’ve got a thick, dense cataract, your vision gets significantly worse, and sometimes, it can become so bad that you become a danger to yourself and others because you simply can’t see well,” Dr. Weinstock emphasizes. “Despite that, most people are still waiting too long to have the surgery.

“They’re waiting until their cataracts get so dense and hard that they literally cannot see, particularly when they’re driving at night. � at not

only makes them dangerous on the road, but when those individuals � nally decide to have their cataracts taken out, it makes for a lon-ger, more traumatic surgery.”

The Danger in WaitingEleanor*, 75, is an example of just how much danger people can put themselves in when they decide to wait to have cataract surgery. Eleanor’s eyesight had been fading for years, but she put o� doing anything about it. It wasn’t until her poor eyesight put her in harm’s way that she � nally acted.

“I was coming home from a friend’s house one night, and they were doing some construction on one of the roads I had to turn onto,” Eleanor relates. “It was very dark, and there were cones laid out everywhere. I couldn’t see the road very well and wound up going the wrong way. I was heading into the tra� c.

“As soon as I realized the mistake I’d made, I swerved over to the other lane, and thankfully, I was okay. After that I decided I better go get some new glasses, but when the eye doctor had me look at the eye chart, I

couldn’t read a thing. � at’s when I was told I had cataracts and needed surgery.”

Eleanor, who still works part-time as a cashier at a nearby grocery store, chose to have her cataract surgery done at � e Eye Institute of West Florida. It was during her initial examination that she met Dr. Weinstock and learned that he would perform her surgery.

“� e situation with Eleanor was much like it was with Kevin,” Dr. Weinstock informs. “Her cataracts were very dense, so hers was another case in which we wished we had gotten to her sooner. Fortunately, I have the technology to handle those tough cataracts, and because other doctors send me tough cases all the time, I’ve done a lot of them.

“But why make it more tough if you don’t have to? And I’m not just talking about it being tougher on the doctor. It can be tougher on the patient when they wait. As the human body gets older, it heals slower, which is another reason not to wait, and why it is better to get cataract surgery done sooner rather than later.”

Better Than EverEleanor’s decision to wait so long to have her eyes examined was born partially out of fear. A glasses-wearer most of her life, she says she has never worn contacts because she doesn’t like putting anything in her eyes and has a fear of anyone else, even a trained physician, touching her eyes.

She carried those fears as well as a few others into her cataract surgery, but soon learned she had no reason to be anxious. During two operations, one for her right eye and one for her left, Dr. Weinstock removed her cataracts and implanted the IOLs so e� ortlessly that Eleanor barely even noticed she’d had the procedures done.

“� ey made me feel very comfortable and told me it would be nothing, and the surgery went just like they said it would,” she says. “� ey said I would be in and out of there in a few minutes, and I was. I don’t think I was in there for any more than about twenty minutes, and I never felt a thing.”

Kevin had a simi-lar experience, but his surgery was a little di� er-ent. Because he’d waited so long to address his prob-lem, his surgery required the use of a femtosecond laser to make the incision in the eye and break up the cataract. � at laser had to be used, Dr. Weinstock explains, because the advanced stage of Kevin’s cataract created an unusual amount of tension and pressure on the eye.

“That tension and pressure can cause a type of complication where the capsule that’s supposed to hold the new implant lens can tear,” Dr. Weinstock explains. “� e femtosecond laser helps to keep that from happening and makes the surgery easier and safer.”

And quite successful. Though he needed a few more days

than typical cataract patients do to heal to the point where he noticed a di� erence in his vision, Kevin says he began to see better out of his right eye after a week. Now, he sees better than ever out of that eye.

“After a month, I went to get my eyes checked again, and the doctor told me, You really don’t need glasses,” Kevin recounts. “He said I had 20/25 vision in the eye that I had the cataract in and that I had 20/18 vision in the other. � e thing I can’t believe is how colorful and clear everything is now.

“Before I had the surgery, if I went out during the day, my eyes would water and burn because they were so sensitive to the light. It got to a point where I decided to just stay inside. But the � rst time I went outside after I had my surgery, there was no burning or anything, and I literally cried right there in the driveway because everything was so clear.”

Eleanor had a similar reaction to her surgery, which was performed in two stages.

Largo1225 West Bay Drive

Clearwater3165 McMullen-Booth Road

Building A, Suite 1

St. Petersburg6133 Central Ave.

Tampa501 N. Howard Ave., Suite 100

Tampa11925 Sheldon Road

(727) 914-5064

Because she had cataracts in both eyes, Dr. Weinstock removed the cataract and replaced the clouded, natural lens with an IOL in her right eye � rst. He performed the second surgery on the left eye a week later.

“When I came out of the surgery on my right eye, I could not believe how bright and clear everything was,” Eleanor relates. “I covered my left eye and everything I looked at out of my right eye was vivid and colorful. � en I covered my right eye, and everything I could see out of my left eye was dull and yellow.

“That’s how I was seeing all the time, so the surgery made a remark-able di� erence. Now that I’ve had the surgery done on both eyes, I just can’t believe how well I’m see-

ing. When I’m at work now, I can read the little numbers on the bar code on the grocer-ies. Before, I had to have someone read them for me if I needed to key them in by hand.”

It’s not only at work where having cat-aract surgery has impacted Eleanor’s life.

Cross-stitching is one of her favorite pas-times, and while she never gave it up as a result of her impaired vision, she had reached a point where she could only do it under bright light and while wearing highly mag-ni� ed reading glasses.

“Now, I can do my cross-stitching, and I don’t need readers,” she says. “My vision is just perfect now. Compared to how I was seeing before, it’s really amazing. � at’s why I de� nitely recommend Dr. Weinstock and � e Eye Institute of West Florida. Everyone there is so professional and courteous, and I’m proof that they do a great job.”

So is Kevin.“I’m really fortunate to have found

Dr. Weinstock,” Kevin exudes. “If anybody asks me about my eyesight now, I tell them to go see Dr. Weinstock and not to wait. I’m a bit of white-knuckle guy when it comes to seeing doctors and dentists but seeing Dr. Weinstock is something I wish I had done a long time ago. It’s changed my life.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Kevin’s photo by Jordan Pysz.

Photo of woman with glasses courtesy of kisspng. Photo of woman

and bench graphic courtesy of Pixabay. mkb

*Patient’s name withheld at her request.

Don’t Play the Waiting GameRemoving cataracts early is your best bet

Page 6 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition opHtHalmology

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

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

ROBERT J. WEINSTOCK, MDKEVIN C. GREENIDGE, MD, MPH, FACS

NEEL R. DESAI, MDJASMINE MOHADJER, MD

JANIE A. HO, MDSANDRA M. JOHNSON, MD

STEVEN F. KANE, MDVASILIOS F. DIAKONIS, MD

Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, FACS, is a board-certi� ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in refractive cataract surgery. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in 1974, 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 certi� 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-certi� ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in cataract, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock joined the practice in 2001. 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 thousands of vision-correcting cataract and LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nation-ally and internationally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is continuously 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 fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in corneal disease, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Desai completed his fellowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. He is recognized throughout the country as one of only 100 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.

For more information, please visit www.eyespecialist.com

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people older than 40 and the principal

cause of blindness in the world. More than 30 million Americans are expected to have cataracts by 2020.

� e lens of the eye works similar to a camera lens, focusing light onto the ret-ina to achieve clear vision. � e lens also adjusts the eye’s focus to allow people to see up close and at a distance.

Lying behind the iris and the pupil, the lens is made up pri-marily of water and protein. The pro-tein is arranged in such a way that the lens stays clear and a l lows light to pass through it. But as part of the nat-ural aging

process, the protein begins to clump together and cloud a portion of the lens, resulting in a cataract.

Cataracts start out small and at � rst have little e� ect on vision. Because cata-racts progress slowly, patients sometimes don’t notice they’re having difficulty seeing until it greatly impacts their nor-mal activities. � eir vision may become blurred, akin to looking through a cloudy

piece of glass or viewing an impres-sionist painting. Colors may

appear less bright. Light from the sun, a lamp or oncom-

ing headlights may cause more glare than before.

Over time, the ca ta rac t may obscure more of the lens , reducing the sharpness of t h e i m a g e

reaching the retina.

The caring staff members of The Eye Institute of West Florida welcome your questions. To schedule an appointment, please contact The Eye Institute of West Florida at these convenient locations:

See For Yourself!

The Eye Institute of West Florida hosts many educational seminars in the

Tampa Bay area. Please phone for more information:

(727) 914-5064

Complimentary 3-D Seminar

How Cataracts Develop

N ow that he’s retired, Kevin Reeves has more time to do the things he loves most. For this Dunedin resident, that

means attending Clearwater-Countryside High School football games in the fall and either Dunedin Blue Jays or Tampa Bay Rays baseball games in the spring and summer.

“I’m a huge sports fan,” enthuses the former entrepreneur, who was part owner of a local car-wash business for 21 years and later had a stake in an embroidery business. “I’m one of the few who still show up at the Countryside games; I live only a few miles from where the Blue Jays play, so I go see them a lot; and I really enjoy watching the Rays.”

It was while taking in a Rays game at Tropicana Field a few years ago that Kevin realized he had a serious vision problem in his right eye. � ough he was sitting less than 200 feet away from it in the left-� eld stands, Kevin couldn’t see the dugout or much of what was happening at home plate out of that eye.

Kevin says he can’t believe how clear his vision is since having cataract surgery.

Customized Cataract Consultations

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

“I couldn’t make out anything,” says Kevin, now 62. “Around that same time, I also started to have trouble seeing while driving at night. I eventually had to give up driving by myself at night. Or if I did drive anywhere by myself at night, it would only be to the grocery store, which is less than a mile away. My way of life became very limited.”

Despite the limitations, Kevin put off seeking help for his vision problem, opting instead to simply “deal with it’’ for several years. It wasn’t until last August, after he had “basically become blind” in his right eye, that Kevin finally sought help and then only at the behest of his daughter and primary care physician.

“My daughter and my primary care doctor could both see that there was something wrong with my eye,” Kevin explains. “My daughter had told me that I needed to have something done about it, and then my primary care doctor said the same thing and recommended I go to see Dr. Weinstock.”

Robert J. Weinstock, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cataract and refractive surgeon who has been practicing at � e Eye Institute of West Florida since 2001. Dr. Weinstock is now the director of cataract and refractive services at the center, where Kevin presented with a case more challenging than most.

Whiteout Condition “Kevin had what we cal l a white cataract, which is a cataract that is so bad, it is totally whited out,” Dr. Weinstock i n f o r m s . “ W h e n a cataract gets to that point, it’s very dense and cloudy and thick. � at type of cataract is harder to get out than a cataract that is younger and softer, and that’s an important factor in the visual outcome and heal-ing process.

“When I ’m per-forming cataract surgery, I want there to be the least amount of risk for the patient as possible. I want the surgery to go as smoothly as possible. I want the patient to heal quickly, and a softer, younger cataract puts the odds of that happening in our favor. � at’s why I believe it’s best to have cataracts removed sooner rather than later.”

Cataracts can be removed easily through an outpatient procedure during which the cloudy, natural lens is removed and replaced with an arti� cial intraocular lens, or IOL. Surgeons typically use ultrasound and a laser to break up the cloudy, natural lens. Once that old lens is removed, the intraocular lens is implanted, permanently correcting the vision.

Dr. Weinstock says there was a time when it was standard procedure for eye

surgeons to wait until cataracts had matured before trying to remove them. In the past 30 years, however, advancements in technology have made it easier and safer for surgeons to remove cataracts shortly after they develop.

Dr. Weinstock adds that it is in the best interest of most patients to have their cata-racts removed early in their development. � e reason is that as cataracts develop, they become thicker and cloudier. As Kevin learned, a thicker, cloudier cataract can even-tually rob someone of their desired lifestyle. It can also put them in danger.

“When you’ve got a thick, dense cataract, your vision gets significantly worse, and sometimes, it can become so bad that you become a danger to yourself and others because you simply can’t see well,” Dr. Weinstock emphasizes. “Despite that, most people are still waiting too long to have the surgery.

“They’re waiting until their cataracts get so dense and hard that they literally cannot see, particularly when they’re driving at night. � at not

only makes them dangerous on the road, but when those individuals � nally decide to have their cataracts taken out, it makes for a lon-ger, more traumatic surgery.”

The Danger in WaitingEleanor*, 75, is an example of just how much danger people can put themselves in when they decide to wait to have cataract surgery. Eleanor’s eyesight had been fading for years, but she put o� doing anything about it. It wasn’t until her poor eyesight put her in harm’s way that she � nally acted.

“I was coming home from a friend’s house one night, and they were doing some construction on one of the roads I had to turn onto,” Eleanor relates. “It was very dark, and there were cones laid out everywhere. I couldn’t see the road very well and wound up going the wrong way. I was heading into the tra� c.

“As soon as I realized the mistake I’d made, I swerved over to the other lane, and thankfully, I was okay. After that I decided I better go get some new glasses, but when the eye doctor had me look at the eye chart, I

couldn’t read a thing. � at’s when I was told I had cataracts and needed surgery.”

Eleanor, who still works part-time as a cashier at a nearby grocery store, chose to have her cataract surgery done at � e Eye Institute of West Florida. It was during her initial examination that she met Dr. Weinstock and learned that he would perform her surgery.

“� e situation with Eleanor was much like it was with Kevin,” Dr. Weinstock informs. “Her cataracts were very dense, so hers was another case in which we wished we had gotten to her sooner. Fortunately, I have the technology to handle those tough cataracts, and because other doctors send me tough cases all the time, I’ve done a lot of them.

“But why make it more tough if you don’t have to? And I’m not just talking about it being tougher on the doctor. It can be tougher on the patient when they wait. As the human body gets older, it heals slower, which is another reason not to wait, and why it is better to get cataract surgery done sooner rather than later.”

Better Than EverEleanor’s decision to wait so long to have her eyes examined was born partially out of fear. A glasses-wearer most of her life, she says she has never worn contacts because she doesn’t like putting anything in her eyes and has a fear of anyone else, even a trained physician, touching her eyes.

She carried those fears as well as a few others into her cataract surgery, but soon learned she had no reason to be anxious. During two operations, one for her right eye and one for her left, Dr. Weinstock removed her cataracts and implanted the IOLs so e� ortlessly that Eleanor barely even noticed she’d had the procedures done.

“� ey made me feel very comfortable and told me it would be nothing, and the surgery went just like they said it would,” she says. “� ey said I would be in and out of there in a few minutes, and I was. I don’t think I was in there for any more than about twenty minutes, and I never felt a thing.”

Kevin had a simi-lar experience, but his surgery was a little di� er-ent. Because he’d waited so long to address his prob-lem, his surgery required the use of a femtosecond laser to make the incision in the eye and break up the cataract. � at laser had to be used, Dr. Weinstock explains, because the advanced stage of Kevin’s cataract created an unusual amount of tension and pressure on the eye.

“That tension and pressure can cause a type of complication where the capsule that’s supposed to hold the new implant lens can tear,” Dr. Weinstock explains. “� e femtosecond laser helps to keep that from happening and makes the surgery easier and safer.”

And quite successful. Though he needed a few more days

than typical cataract patients do to heal to the point where he noticed a di� erence in his vision, Kevin says he began to see better out of his right eye after a week. Now, he sees better than ever out of that eye.

“After a month, I went to get my eyes checked again, and the doctor told me, You really don’t need glasses,” Kevin recounts. “He said I had 20/25 vision in the eye that I had the cataract in and that I had 20/18 vision in the other. � e thing I can’t believe is how colorful and clear everything is now.

“Before I had the surgery, if I went out during the day, my eyes would water and burn because they were so sensitive to the light. It got to a point where I decided to just stay inside. But the � rst time I went outside after I had my surgery, there was no burning or anything, and I literally cried right there in the driveway because everything was so clear.”

Eleanor had a similar reaction to her surgery, which was performed in two stages.

Largo1225 West Bay Drive

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Because she had cataracts in both eyes, Dr. Weinstock removed the cataract and replaced the clouded, natural lens with an IOL in her right eye � rst. He performed the second surgery on the left eye a week later.

“When I came out of the surgery on my right eye, I could not believe how bright and clear everything was,” Eleanor relates. “I covered my left eye and everything I looked at out of my right eye was vivid and colorful. � en I covered my right eye, and everything I could see out of my left eye was dull and yellow.

“That’s how I was seeing all the time, so the surgery made a remark-able di� erence. Now that I’ve had the surgery done on both eyes, I just can’t believe how well I’m see-

ing. When I’m at work now, I can read the little numbers on the bar code on the grocer-ies. Before, I had to have someone read them for me if I needed to key them in by hand.”

It’s not only at work where having cat-aract surgery has impacted Eleanor’s life.

Cross-stitching is one of her favorite pas-times, and while she never gave it up as a result of her impaired vision, she had reached a point where she could only do it under bright light and while wearing highly mag-ni� ed reading glasses.

“Now, I can do my cross-stitching, and I don’t need readers,” she says. “My vision is just perfect now. Compared to how I was seeing before, it’s really amazing. � at’s why I de� nitely recommend Dr. Weinstock and � e Eye Institute of West Florida. Everyone there is so professional and courteous, and I’m proof that they do a great job.”

So is Kevin.“I’m really fortunate to have found

Dr. Weinstock,” Kevin exudes. “If anybody asks me about my eyesight now, I tell them to go see Dr. Weinstock and not to wait. I’m a bit of white-knuckle guy when it comes to seeing doctors and dentists but seeing Dr. Weinstock is something I wish I had done a long time ago. It’s changed my life.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Kevin’s photo by Jordan Pysz.

Photo of woman with glasses courtesy of kisspng. Photo of woman

and bench graphic courtesy of Pixabay. mkb

*Patient’s name withheld at her request.

Don’t Play the Waiting GameRemoving cataracts early is your best bet

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 7opHtHalmology

Balancing ActAlong with diet and exercise, optimizing

hormones helps improve weight loss

Lisa* was one of the millions of men and women who resolved last January to lose weight and get more � t in 2017. She was

also one of the few who actually stuck with her adopted plan of diet and exercise for more than just a few weeks.

GIL MEJIA, MD

� e program just didn’t work for her.Lisa, 59, closely lowered her calorie

intake and began walking three times a week for at least 20 minutes, but when the 4th of July holiday rolled around, she still had not shed the excess belly fat she set out to lose.

“I was very frustrated,” Lisa explains. “I changed my diet, and I was really good about making sure I got my walks in. And I always made sure to walk at a brisk pace. But after six months, it was like I hadn’t done anything at all.”

Lisa is not alone. For many, eating less and exercising more is indeed the key to losing weight and getting properly � t. For others, that simple equation alone will never allow them to achieve their desired weight and � tness goals.

Not as long as their hormones are unbalanced.

“For many who struggle with weight loss, the problem does not lie in their lack of commitment to a new diet or exercise program,” says Gil Mejia, MD, the med-ical director at Rejuvenate Your Life. “It lies in a hormonal imbalance.

“An elevated insulin level, for exam-ple, can cause you to gain weight. It’s also hard to lose weight if your corti-sol is too high or your thyroid is not optimized because the thyroid is what controls your metabolism.

“And then there’s your testosterone. And not just in men, but women, too. Testosterone is what gives you the energy to become active and do the exercise that allows you to lose the weight, and the motivation to focus on the diet program.

“What we have found is that, for those who struggle to lose that stub-born weight, there is often an imbalance somewhere in their hormone levels. We optimize these hormones so that you can achieve your goals.”

Find Your Hormonal Sweet Spot� e ultimate goal at Rejuvenate Your Life is for each patient to regain an optimal state of functioning. � at goal is achieved through two basic scienti� c principles, the � rst of which is eliminat-ing from the body anything that might prevent it from reaching its optimal state. � e second is restoring anything to the body that it may be lacking.

For patients seeking to lose weight, the process begins with a simple consultation in which the patient’s weight-loss goals are determined. What follows is a compre-hensive blood test that Dr. Mejia says is covered by most basic insurance plans.

“We don’t do any guessing in this program,” Dr. Mejia reports. “We base everything on science, which is why we do the blood work. If there are hormonal imbalances, they are easily detected through blood work.

“With any imbalances we find, we strive to optimize the hormones to a youth-ful level because that’s when they function the best. If you’ll remember, when we were young, we could play all day.

“As you age, your metabolism becomes sluggish, and when your metab-olism becomes sluggish, it becomes harder to lose weight. That’s why checking the thyroid is one of the most important things we do.

“It’s also very important to check cortisol because high levels of cortisol in the setting of chronic stress can cause you to lose sleep and slow down your metabolism, which leads to weight gain and insulin resistance.”

Dr. Mejia also checks the levels of insulin and testosterone in each patient. If the � ndings show imbalances in any of the hormones, he develops a plan of action aimed at returning the hormones to their optimum levels.

� e plan usually includes a diet pro-gram because the levels of some hormones such as insulin and testosterone can not only be improved but also controlled through dietary changes such as elimi-nating carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol.

“� e majority of the people who are seeing me are struggling to lose weight because of either aging or lifestyle,” Dr. Mejia reports. “If your lifestyle is poor from an eating standpoint, for example, your insulin levels are going to be high. High insulin levels make it di� cult to lose weight.

For correcting thyroid levels, Dr. Mejia often recommends dietary changes as well as supplementation. For example, increases in iodine, which can be obtained through a supplement, can sometimes cure the imbalance.

For improving levels of cortisol, Dr. Mejia recommends a stress manage-ment program. � ese programs usually involve an increase in activities known to help reduce stress.

Yoga, meditation and deep breathing are some of the activities that have helped patients with high stress levels. Dr. Mejia is quick to point out, however, that those activities are not recommended if the patient doesn’t enjoy them.

“We want you to better manage the stress, which is why I recommend doing something that does not add more stress,” Dr. Mejia says. “For example, we know that yoga helps reduce stress, but if you hate doing yoga, we don’t want you to do it.

“We recommend that patients relieve stress by doing something they love. If you love to dance, go dancing; if you like to swim, go swimming. If you love it, do it. Just be sure you’re not doing something that will actually harm you.”

Weight and Stress ReducedLisa, who was referred to Dr. Mejia by a friend, was one of those whose corti-sol levels were unusually high. She took

Gil Mejia, MD, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology and graduated cum laude from Far Eastern University in the Philippines. He also received his medical degree from Far Eastern University with hon-ors and completed his internal medicine residency program

at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He has 20 years of experience in primary care, emergency medicine and hospital medicine. Dr. Mejia has advanced training in weight loss and nutrition and is a Certi� ed BioTE® Provider. He completed Age Management Elite Training from the prestigious Cenegenics Education and Research Foundation. Dr. Mejia has also earned a fellowship in anti-aging and functional medicine from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M).

Visit Rejuvenate Your Life on the web at rejuvenateyourlife.net and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RejuvenateYourLifeWellness

Catering to Your Needs Rejuvenate Your Life is proud to serve the Tampa community with a variety of health and wellness services. Whether you are looking to lose weight, improve your sexual health or manage an existing condition, they can cater a treatment plan to meet your unique needs. See how they can help you obtain optimal health!

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Dr. Mejia up on his suggestion to do yoga and found that it relaxed her. She also got involved in an aerobics class twice a week.

� e results, she says, have been amaz-ing. She’s lost more than 30 pounds since she started to see Dr. Mejia and believes she’d still be � ghting her own battle of the bulge had she not been introduced to the hormone balance program.

“I feel better and look better than I have in years,” Lisa raves. “In terms of trying to lose weight, I was really just spinning my wheels before I discovered Dr. Mejia. He unlocked the secret to a healthier and happier me.”

� at is one of Dr. Mejia’s goals. His practice is not only about helping people who are having trouble losing weight but about helping people manage everything from diabetes to autoimmune issues.

“While many culprits contribute to weight loss resistance, I � nd addressing hormonal imbalances helps many patients lose stubborn weight and keep it off,” Dr. Mejia reports. “Once we put some-one on a program, I typically see them again about four or six weeks later, and the majority come back to me feeling hap-pier. � ey’re more focused, their aches and pains are better and they’re leaner and los-ing weight. � ey come to me for weight loss, but at the end of the day, it’s how they feel inside that’s most important.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. mkb

*Patient’s name withheld at her request

Through hormone optimization,

Rejuvenate Your Life helps patients regain

an optimal state of functioning

Page 8 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition WeigHt loss

Burnie Herring

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 subspecialty certi� cation 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 fellowship 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.

Burnie is walking comfortably again after having stem cell therapy on her right knee.

Skip the SurgeryNonsurgical procedure regenerates aching, arthritic knee joint

T ime was when Burnie Herring would while away most of her downtime hours working in her yard. � e now 86-year-old retired school bus driver has long considered

herself a “yard person.” � e same goes for just about everyone else in her family as well.

“My two sons and I, we’re all yard people,” Burnie enthuses. “We love a beautifully manicured and landscaped yard. To a lot of people, that seems like work. But I never considered it work. For me, getting out in the yard was more like therapy.

“I had these old clothes that I would wear when I worked out in the yard. I’d throw those on along with a headband and a wide-brim hat and go out there and mow and edge and garden and just have a ball with it. I really enjoyed it.”

A longtime Brandon resident, Burnie now lives in Plant City, where she recently had to scale back the time she devoted to making her yard look beautiful because of a painful knee that reached its peak during a family crisis last March.

“My husband had a heart attack, and I was hobbling down the corridor at the hospital one day when my daughter noticed how much difficulty I was having walking, and ran and got me a wheelchair,” Burnie remembers.

“It was my right knee that was hurting so much and making it hard for me to walk. After that incident at the hospital, I � nally decided to go see my ortho-pedic surgeon in Lakeland. I was hoping he’d be able to take care of this for me.”

After conducting a thor-ough examination, Burnie’s orthopedic surgeon learned that the cause of Burnie’s knee pain was osteoarthri-tis. He initially attempted to treat the knee with a series of cortisone injections.

“But that didn’t help one bit!” Burnie exclaims. “So, I called them back and told them I still had the pain, and this time they prescribed prednisone. But that didn’t do me any good either. � at’s when the doctor’s assistant started talking about a knee replacement.

“I absolutely did not want to go through that, and then one day while I was at my eye doctor’s o� ce, I saw an article in Florida Health Care News about a woman who had stem cell therapy for her knee problem and had nothing but good things to say about it.

“After reading that article, I decided to call the doctor’s o� ce where the woman went for the stem cell therapy. � e woman I talked to on the phone was very nice and said, Why don’t you come in and we’ll talk about

it, so I made an appointment.”� e practice Burnie called was

Regenerative Orthopedic Institute, where Erick A. Grana, MD, special-izes in regenerative medicine. He treats patients such as Burnie with a nonsurgical regenerative technique called stem cell therapy.

Scalpel-Free TechniquesUnlike traditional invasive surgery, which can result in blood loss, scarring and long, painful recovery periods, stem cell therapy requires only injections of stem cells into the damaged joint. � e injections are administered by the doctor right in his o� ce.

In addition to providing pain relief, stem cell therapy can reverse damage caused by osteoarthritis. � is reversal is accomplished by regenerating the cartilage and connective tissues in and around the joint area.

“Regenerative medicine treats disease and inju-ries by harnessing the body’s own healing powers,” Dr. Grana clarifies. “The natural healing process is accelerated by a combination of growth factors and the patient’s own bioactive cells, resulting in a safe, e� ective, nonsurgical treatment.”

Dr. Grana has developed a system for the delivery of stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into the pain generators in and around joints such as the knees, shoulders and hips that he calls RegenaJoint™.

He has also developed a similar system to treat the spine. � at process is called RegenaSpine™. Both treat-ments use live x-ray guidance to ensure precise placement of the stem cells, which restore function, improve quality of life and reduce or eliminate the need for surgery and nar-cotic medications.

In addition, RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine both use autologous cells, which are stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and growth factors obtained from the patient’s own body, to regenerate the cartilage and connective tissue in the joints, spinal discs, tendons and ligaments.

When combined with concentrated platelets and growth factors, these stem cells become a powerful, natural repairing mechanism for aching backs and painful joints that allows patients to avoid surgery and the risks that come with it.

“We extract stem cells from bone marrow or fat and platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s own blood to use in the problem areas,” explains Dr. Grana, who obtained the stem cells for Burnie’s treatment from her belly fat.

“He took about two ounces of fat from below my navel,” Burnie con� rms. “I told him that he could have gotten more if he had gone around the sides and back. He could have gotten himself a gallon of fat that way.

“� ey then drew blood from my arm to get the platelets and mixed that with the stem cells from my belly fat, injected my knee and that was it. � ey didn’t have to use any anesthesia or anything. � e whole process was very simple.”

Eff ective ResultsIt was also e� ective. Patients typically begin to feel a noticeable decrease in pain levels after six weeks, and that was the case with Burnie, who returned to Dr. Grana after about a month for a booster.

“I was already starting to feel a little better when I went in for the booster shot, and after that, I really began to notice a di� erence!” Burnie exclaims. “Ever since then, my knee has just continued to feel better and better.

“It’s really remarkable the di� erence the stem cell treatment has made. I can walk about a mile or more without any problem, which is good because my cardiol-ogist wants me to get out and walk more. I’m really glad I chose to do this, and I would do it again in a minute if I had to. In fact, I might do it again.

“My untreated knee causes me some problems now and then. It’s not yet to the point where I feel as if I need to do anything about it, but if it ever gets there, I know exactly where to go, who to see and what to have done about it.”

Burnie says one of the things that made the entire experience so good was the personal care she received from Dr. Grana, whom she describes as very knowledge-able, caring and informative.

“He was very thorough and did a great job of explaining everything,” Burnie recalls. “I read up a lot on stem cell therapy before I went to see Dr. Grana, so I knew what it was all about, but after talking to him, I was convinced this was the right thing to do.

“Dr. Grana and his sta� were just great. � ey’re really good people, and I’ve already told a couple of my friends about him. I told them that stem cell ther-apy is the way to go and that Dr. Grana is the doctor to see to get it done.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Fred Bellet. mkb

“It’s really remarkable the difference the stem cell treatment has made...

I would do it again in a minute if I had to.”

- Burnie

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

Visit Regenerative Orthopedic Institute on the web at www.dontoperate.com (813) 868-1659

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 9stem cell tHerapy/paiN maNagemeNt

Dr. Robert Lupo is the clinic director and a chiropractic physician at Physical Medicine Center, which o� ers holistic health care, chiropractic and primary medical care as well as physical therapy. Treatments include spinal decom-pression, stem cell/PRP, addiction management, bio-identical hormone replacement, weight loss and IV nutrition. Dr. Lupo received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University in Marietta, GA, and has done post-graduate work in nutrition, chiropractic orthopedics, neurology, spinal disc injury care and auto accident injury care. He is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians.

For Radiant HealthPhysical Medicine Center is a multidisciplinary treatment and care center. To schedule a consultation, please contact or visit the offi ce in New Tampa at:

14522 University Point Place

(813) 978-0020For more information on Physical Medicine Center, go online to mybackinplace.com

Second HoneymoonED treatment returns

spark to sex life

Emory Allen

E mory Allen, 74, worked con-struction all his life. For the last few years of his career, he owned his own business but

also worked for a large contracting com-pany, from which he retired. � e North Carolina native, who spent his young-adult years in Southern France with the Army, always felt proud when clients turned to him for his construction expertise.

“I had a lot of fun doing construc-tion, so I started my own company,” he recounts. “� e name of it was Professional Industrial Contractors. Clients I did work for included Coors® Brewery, Gerber® Baby Food and Frito-Lay®. I also worked on several ethanol plants, a few bakeries and many other projects.”

As Emory got older, he faced a few common health issues that sometimes a� ect men as they age, including prostate disorders. In Emory’s case, treatment for those disorders contributed to a frustrat-ing problem – erectile dysfunction (ED).

“I hadn’t been able to do anything in the bedroom since I had prostate surgery � fteen years ago,” Emory con� rms. “My wife was very understanding. We have more than sex going on in our relation-ship. We are best friends.”

“� at’s true,” con� rms Emory’s wife. “� e sex wasn’t as good as it was in the past, but there’s more to our relationship than that. � at made it easier for me to be understanding about his problem.”

� e couple lived with an incomplete sex life for years, then Emory learned about a treatment that o� ered signi� cant improve-ment without pills or surgery. � e treatment was provided by Robert C. Lupo, DC, of Physical Medicine Center in Tampa.

“I was already a patient of Dr. Lupo for chiropractic services,” relates Emory. “One day, I was in the waiting room and saw an article in Florida Health Care News about Dr. Lupo and his GAINSWave® therapy, so I asked him about it. He told me there was calcium plaque in the vessels of my penis, and GAINSWave works like the treatment they use on kidney stones to break it up.”

“GAINSWave is a unique treatment that uses sound-wave technology to clear the tiny microvessels in the urogenital region,” describes Dr. Lupo. “� is increases circulation to the penis, which improves sensitivity and the quality of the erection, intensifying the entire sexual experience.

During his initial appointment with Dr. Lupo, Emory was given a sample GAINSWave treatment. Emory later returned for five subsequent treat-ments, during which he says, “Things started looking up.”

Tune-Ups for EveryoneBecause sexual health can affect over-all well-being, the impact of untreated erectile dysfunction, as well as decreased

sensitivity and performance, can extend beyond the bedroom.

“We all want to feel good, be healthy and have great sex,” reports Dr. Lupo. “In fact, studies have shown that good sexual energy does many things for health and well-being. � ese include decreasing stress, providing a stronger-functioning immune system, improving sleep, increasing self-esteem and happiness, and much more.”

Difficulties in the bedroom are not limited to men in their 70s, such as Emory. Even men in their 30s and 40s can begin to lose sensitivity or have trouble achieving and maintaining the strong erections necessary for great sex. It’s important that men experiencing these symptoms seek the advice of a medical professional.

“ Tro u b l e w i t h erections is a sign that blood � ow issues, hor-monal changes or other serious conditions are beginning to develop,” notes Dr. Lupo. “We o� er bio-identical hor-mone therapy as well as GAINSWave to get men su� ering with treatable conditions back on track and working like they’re supposed to.”

Dr. Lupo stresses that while GAINSWave is an excellent treatment for men with ED, it is also very e� ective for achieving sensitivity and volume improve-ment in younger men.

“Some younger men come in to tune-up their sexual functioning and improve their experience,” he says. “� ey simply want to keep their bodies in good working order, which leads to better per-formance in the bedroom. These men report that GAINSWave provides a very dramatic result.”

GAINSWave helps improve a man’s sexual health in another way as well. It also stimulates the growth of nerve tissue vital for increasing sensitivity and achiev-ing and maintaining healthy erections.

Stronger, Longer, BetterMen have experienced a renewed abil-ity for healthier erections after only a few GAINSWave treatments, points out Dr. Lupo. Just two painless treat-ments per week over a three-week period is all most men need to restore or improve erectile function.

“GAINSWave’s ability to improve blood � ow, increase new vascularization and increase nerve sensitivity in the uro-

genital region has been pretty phenomenal,” asserts the doctor. “� e erection ability is stron-ger, longer, better and more impressive. It’s tak-ing men back to more youthful times in their lives without the neces-sity for medications.”

The noninvasive therapy is also used to successfully treat a painful syndrome that causes curva-

ture of the penis, called Peyronie’s disease, that is the result of scar tissue.

Dr. Lupo says GAINSWave uses the same technology that has been e� ective for years in the US and Europe to treat plantar fasciitis; heel, knee and elbow pain; scar tissue, tendonitis and connec-tive tissue injuries.

“GAINSWave emits concentrated blasts of sound waves akin to ultrasound or sonar technology. � ese sound waves travel faster than the speed of sound, and when applied through the correct number of pulses, frequency and energy, they can have

a positive e� ect on tissue to restore blood � ow and nerve sensitivity,” he explains.

“We’re very encouraged by how GAINSWave has been used to treat hun-dreds of patients without harmful side e� ects,” he adds. “Any man who wants to restore youthful performance should call us to explore this option.”

Complete TrustGAINSWave was definitely the right option for Emory. He’s very pleased with the outcome of his treatment, as is his wife.

“� e GAINSWave must have broken up all of those calcium plaque deposits in my penis,” Emory reports, “because everything is up now. My wife is happy.”

“It’s wonderful,” says his wife. “Our sex life is back to the way it was years ago.”

Emory credits his excellent results to Dr. Lupo. He thinks very highly of the doctor and trusts him completely. � anks to Dr. Lupo, Emory always has a good experience at Physical Medicine Center.

“Dr. Lupo is a good, honest man,” states Emory. “He has high morals. His good character means a lot to me. He’s very good.”

Men gain the most benefit from GAINSWave when they � nish the full course of treatment. Many men, how-ever, experience positive e� ects after just a few treatments. Emory was one of those men who noticed bene� ts from GAINSWave early on.

“I started seeing a di� erence after two or three treatments,” he recalls. “I began having some sensation down there, the blood started � owing and things started getting better. I de� nitely recommend GAINSWave and Dr. Lupo.

“Now, I’m doing very well for an old man. I’m almost seventy-� ve years old, and everything works!”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Fred Bellet.

Graphic courtesy of GAINSWave. mkb

ROBERT C. LUPO, DC

Page 10 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition erectile dysfuNctioN/prp tHerapy

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✔ NUTRIENT IV THERAPY

Look Your BestThe goal at ZMD Center is to provide the highest-quality aesthetic treatments and services within

the comfort of a relaxing spa environment. At the practice, all patients are treated under the

supervision of trained medical staff to ensure your results match your passion for beauty. For more information or to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation, call or visit the offi ce in Lutz in the:

Sun Lake Professional Park18944 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.

Suite 102

(813) 949-4000

Brian K. Zebrowski, MD, FACS, is a board-certi� ed general surgeon who has been practicing in Tampa Bay since his arrival to the area in 2009. He is a graduate of Cornell University, where he received a degree in biol-ogy with a concentration in biochemistry. He attended and completed medical school at the State University of New York in Bu� alo, NY. Dr. Zebrowski went on to complete four years of general surgery residency at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT. He later completed his residency at the University of California

at Irvine in Orange, CA. After his second year in residency, he spent two years at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX doing research in the department of surgical oncology. After completing his general surgery residency, he went on to start his fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE as a fellow in minimally invasive surgery and continued his fellowship at Roswell Park Center Institute, Bu� alo, NY in surgical oncology. Dr. Zebrowski became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the Society of Surgical Oncology.

Visit ZMD Center for Face and Body Rejuvenation online at zmdcenter.com and on Facebook at ZMD Center for Face and Body

Innovative therapy relieves urinary incontinence

The BTL Emsella chair treatments have given Kristin back confi dence and security.

W hen Kristin Gonzalez got together with a few of her girlfriends for a typical girls’ night a couple years ago, she had no reason to believe that an

embarrassing bout with urinary incontinence would interrupt her good time.

� ough urinary incontinence does occur most often in women, it usually occurs in women who are pregnant, have had children or are going through menopause. At the time of the get-together, Kristin didn’t � t into any of those categories.

An aesthetician by trade, she was only 38 and had never been pregnant. But when someone said something that made her laugh hysterically, her personal battle with one of life’s most bothersome conditions began.

“When it � rst happened, I was like, What is going on here?” Kristin, now 40, recounts. “When I mentioned it, all the other girls just kind of laughed because a lot of them have had children and thought it was funny that I was the one who brought it up.

“After that, it became a topic of discussion, and it turned out there were maybe one or two women there who had not experienced it before. But I wasn’t even forty yet, had never had children and hadn’t been through menopause, so I was still a bit confused.”

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine, and, as it did with Kristin, it can be sparked by some-thing as simple as a laugh, a cough or a sneeze. It typically results in the loss of a few drops of urine, but it can also present itself as a strong urge to urinate.

Considered common by physicians, millions of women and men su� er from the condition that is typi-cally caused by a weakening of the bladder or sphincter muscles, an overactive bladder or nerve damage.

Kristin would soon find out, however, that her case was di� erent.

Thinking at first that her urinary incontinence was likely a result of her drinking a lot of water during the day, she � rst sought help from a doctor, who pre-scribed a medication designed to help her manage urinary frequency.

Kristin didn’t like the idea of being on such a med-ication, so she abandoned the medication after about a month and decided to simply “deal with” the problem as best she could. As time passed, however, that became increasingly di� cult.

“After a while, the problem became worse,” Kristin says. “It started happening when I sneezed or when I was playing with my niece and nephew on their trampoline. I was thinking, Wow, this is really terrible.”

A New ArrivalKristin’s struggles reached a peak earlier this year, not long before she changed jobs and became part of the team at ZMD Center for Face and Body Rejuvenation – A MediSpa. � e change marked the beginning of the end of her battle with urinary incontinence.

“I was in my � rst or second day of work there when this odd-looking chair arrived,” Kristin explains. “When I asked what it was for, I was told that it’s a leading-edge technology for treating urinary incontinence. � at’s when I said, Hey, I’ve got that.”

It was immediately thereafter that Kristin became not just an employee at the ZMD Center for Face and Body Rejuvenation – A MediSpa, but a patient of its founding physician, Brian K. Zebrowski, MD, FACS.

During one of her first conversations with Dr. Zebrowski, Kristin revealed that she had been dealing with hormonal � uctuations for a couple of years and was going through pre-menopause at an age earlier than most women do.

Dr. Zebrowski responded by saying those factors were likely the cause of her urinary incontinence and suggested she undergo the nonsurgical, noninvasive treatment o� ered through his practice’s new arrival, the BTL Emsella™ chair.

Designed to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor and reduce incontinence without drugs or sur-gery, the BTL Emsella chair stimulates the muscles in the pelvic floor and restores neuromuscular control by delivering electromagnetic energy to the muscles of the pelvic floor.

“You sit in the chair fully clothed, and the only restriction is that you cannot have any metal in your pelvis, such as an IUD,” Dr. Zebrowski explains. “You sit there for twenty-eight minutes, and the effect is the same as doing more than eleven thousand Kegel or pelvic � oor exercises.”

A complete BTL Emsella chair program requires patients receive two 28-minute treatments per week for three consecutive weeks. Those treatments, Dr. Zebrowski emphasizes, will not only help with uri-nary incontinence but also fecal incontinence.

In addition to strengthening the pelvic � oor and decreasing incontinence, the BTL Emsella chair treat-ments can also help patients more easily achieve orgasm and experience stronger orgasms, which can positively impact their sexual wellness and relationships.

A Relaxing De-Stressor“It’s a completely painless treatment that I actually found quite relaxing,” Kristin says. “I’ll sit there and relax and look at a magazine, and the sensation you get is similar to the feeling you get from the jets in a hot tub.

“It’s really very comfortable, and the time goes by very quickly. For me, the treatments were like a de-stressor for my mind because I knew I was actually going to sit in one spot for about thirty minutes, so it was a good time to zone out.”

Dr. Zebrowski says the treatment has so far attained a 95 percent satisfaction rate among patients. Kristin is among those pleased with the relief the treatment provides, which is why she’s become such an advocate for the product.

“I’ve actually had a great sense of relief,” Kristin enthuses. “I cannot remember the last time I had a leakage episode, and I recently went through a period where my allergies were really bothering me, and I was sneezing and coughing a lot.

“Normally, I would have experienced some leak-age during that period, but this time – nothing. So, it worked really well, and like anything else, it needs to be maintained, so I’ll probably get a treatment once a month to make sure it keeps working.

“And I would recommend other women with this problem try the BTL Emsella chair. I’ve talked with a lot of women who say they’ve tried everything, and I tell them to try this because it really works. If you want to prevent this problem from happening again, there’s no reason not to try it.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Jordan Pysz. mkb

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 11medispa

Ruth Smith

Dean M. Knoblach, BC-HIS, is a graduate of the National Institute of Hearing Instrument Studies. Dean founded Knoblach Hearing Care in 1998. Since then, he has received many recognitions. The most recent include ranking in The Hearing Review as one of the “Top Hearing Healthcare Professionals of 2012,” the Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Award in 2014, and Angie’s List Super Service Award/Best in Hearing Healthcare 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. He is a member of the American Hearing Aid Association and Florida Society of Hearing Healthcare Professionals, and is nationally Board Certi� ed in Hearing Instrument Sciences.

Kathleen O. Knoblach, HAS, is a licensed hearing aid specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the hearing health care field. Consistently ranked for years as a top-performing specialist at a very large practice in Orlando, she teamed up with Dean after marrying him in 2015. Together, Dean and Kathleen have dedicated the rest of their careers to serving the hearing impaired through Knoblach Hearing Care.

For more information, visit them online at www.knoblachhearingcare.com

Better Hearing For LifeFrom the latest in hearing aid technology to ear wax removal and in-office repairs, Knoblach Hearing Care can help. Dean Knoblach has specialized in hearing care since 1983. Dean and the sta� at Knoblach Hearing Care welcome the opportunity to discuss your hearing needs. For answers to your personal hearing health care questions, please call of visit the o� ce in Largo at:

East Bay Dr., Suite

(727) 530-3533

If you or a loved one is experiencing difficulty hearing and are interested in trying this technology, Knoblach Hearing Care is currently conducting free clinical trial programs. For more information, visit Knoblach Hearing Care online at www.knoblachhearingcare.com or call (727) 530-3533.

Back in TouchAdvanced hearing aid technology helps renew social connections

Cleveland, Ohio native Ruth Smith, 87, is a retired stay-at-home mom who worked brie� y as a licensed practical

nurse. She describes herself as “no young-ster,” but she’s in good health and likes to stay active. Unfortunately, Ruth also has a degenerative hearing loss that brought her to a tipping point three years ago.

“My hearing gradually got worse over the years,” she relates. “Initially, I didn’t real-ize what was happening until I got to that terrible place where I just was not hearing certain things, such as particular voices and parts of conversations. I was teaching a class at church, and it was becoming di� cult for me to hear correctly in my Bible class.”

In addition to having an adverse e� ect on her day-to-day experiences, Ruth’s poor hearing also had an impact on her daughter, who lives with her.

“To hear someone one-on-one, they had to be facing me directly,” Ruth describes. “Otherwise, I couldn’t make out what they were saying. My television had to be up as far as it would go, which bothered my daughter who has super good hearing.”

“Mom’s hearing wasn’t good at all,” clari� es Ruth’s daughter. “She would have her television blasting. She also likes to listen to radio programs from her era, and they would be very loud as well.

“Not only that, but Mom couldn’t hear anything I was trying to tell her either. � ere were some bad moments when I had to write down what I wanted to say on a piece of paper. That’s how severe her hearing loss had become.

“� ere were many misunderstandings in her conversations with her friends, too, and it caused problems for her. She thought she heard what they were saying, but they weren’t actually saying those things.”

� ree years ago, Ruth decided it was time for hearing aids. A friend from her church told her about the provider who fit him with hearing aids, and that he

was very happy with his experience. � e provider was Dean M. Knoblach, a board-certi� ed Hearing Instrument Specialist, at Knoblach Hearing Care in Largo.

“On my friend’s recommendation, I went to Knoblach Hearing Care,” states Ruth. “When I � rst met Dean, I thought he was just won-derful. He was very thorough and compassion-ate, just a delight to be with.

“The first set of hearing aids Dean recommended helped a little bit, but then he later found another pair that work wonder-fully. I’m now wearing Rexton® hearing aids, and they’re worth every penny I paid for them.”

Communicating Technology“I � rst met Ruth in 2015 and discovered she had a moderate to severe hearing loss in her right ear and a profound hearing loss in her left ear,” reports Dean. “’� e � rst set of hearing aids I � t for her left a lot of room for improvement, so when she came back I got her involved in a clinical trial to test a product in development.

“The purpose of the clinical trial was to determine the e� cacy of a new hearing aid computer chip designed by Siemens for its advanced primax circuit technology.”

Clinical trials help manufacturers test new products with the help of a select group of specially trained practitioners, who provide feed-back on what works and what doesn’t. � e result is real-time

solutions, so new technology is developed in months instead of years. Advanced hearing aids with the Siemens primax chip are currently available because of clinical trials.

“� e hearing aids I recommended for Ruth, called Rexton Emerald, have the

Siemens primax chip, and they’re amazing,” notes Dean. “In my thirty-� ve years of practice, I’ve never seen the

level of detailed accuracy and predictabil-ity that’s available with this technology.”

With the primax circuit, if sound isn’t clear in one ear, the hearing aid in the opposite ear chooses the best speech intelligibility and sends the sound to the other device, Dean explains. This provides clear, effortless sound quality that automatically adjusts to ever-changing listening environments.

“� ese new hearing aids talk to each other, and they’re constantly sharing data,” he elaborates. “Whichever hearing aid microphone picks up a clear signal pushes it through to both devices. And this happens one thousand, two-hundred times per second. It’s something that is very � uid and comfortable.

“With this new hearing aid tech-nology, Ruth can hear well in all environments,” he adds. “She has no dif-� culty hearing in auditoriums, restaurants or group situations or while watching television or talking on the phone.

“� at’s an excellent report card that we used to never get, but with this new technology, we get it quite routinely now.”

Normal Is AmazingGoing back to Knoblach Hearing Care was life-changing for Ruth. She knew she had been missing out on conversations, but she didn’t realize just how out of touch with the world she’d become. She’s amazed by the sounds she’s been hearing since she started wearing her new hearing aids.

“For the � rst time in a long time, I can hear birds chirping and singing,” she marvels. “I enjoy that very much.

“I can hear normally now. People don’t have to be facing me for me to hear what they’re saying. I can watch TV with the volume way down instead of at the top level, which makes my daughter happy. I can’t explain how wonderful it is being able to hear again.”

“Mom can hear me now when I talk to her,” enthuses her daughter. “� e dif-ference is absolutely amazing because before she got these hearing aids, every-thing had to be so loud for her to hear. Now, she tells me, � at’s too loud, that’s too loud. What a di� erence. It’s like a miracle.

“It’s incredible what Mom can hear now. And since she can now hear in conver-sations, she’s becoming more social again.”

Ruth loves her new hearing aids and appreciates the sta� at Knoblach Hearing Care. She values the exceptional treatment she receives and the overall quality of her experiences whenever she visits the center.

“Everyone at Knoblach Hearing Care is just lovely,” she shares. “Dean and his sta� are precious people. � ey’re sweet and caring, and it’s a joy to go there. They’re like family. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, I give Knoblach Hearing Care a twelve!”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo courtesy of

Knoblach Hearing Care. mkb

“For the � rst time in a long time, I can hear birds chirping and singing.”

– Ruth

Page 12 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition HeariNg HealtH care