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FEATURED ARTICLES

(see Double Jointed, page 4)

ERICK A. GRANA, MD

Stem cell therapy relieves lower back, knee pain

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

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

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

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

Geraldine hails from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, but she and her hus-band moved north to Ohio after they were married. Eventually, the couple headed south to the temperate climate of the Sunshine State.

“After I married my husband, we lived in Toledo,” Geraldine con� rms. “In 1997, we decided to move to Florida and get jobs down here. We continued to work in Florida until we were ready to retire.”

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

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

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

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

“� ere was a burning pain on the left side of my knee,” she states. “At times, the pain was a nine on a scale of one to ten. Occasionally, it hurt at the bottom of that knee as well, but that pain occurred at di� erent times. It wasn’t constant.

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

Living with terrible back and knee pain took all of Geraldine’s energy. She � nally accepted that she required a doc-tor’s care in order to � nd real relief, but she didn’t know where to turn. � at changed when she picked up a copy of Florida

Health Care News one day and read about Erick A. Grana, MD, of Regenerative Orthopedic Institute in Tampa.

“I read the article in the newspa-per about Dr. Grana and his treatment and thought, Maybe he could help me,” Geraldine remembers. “When Dr. Grana reviewed my MRI, he said my back was pretty bad, but he could treat me with his procedure.

“I thought I might as well have my back and knee treated at the same time. Dr. Grana told me he would give me a discount to have both done, and I always like a deal.”

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

To addres s condi t ions l ike Geraldine’s, Dr. Grana uses regenerative medicine, which treats patients with a nonsurgical technique called stem cell therapy. � is therapy uses the patient’s own specialized stem cells to promote the growth of new tissue in joints ravaged by arthritis or injury.

“Regenerative medicine treats disease and injuries by harnessing the body’s own healing powers,’’ Dr. Grana informs. “� e natural healing process is accelerated by a combination of growth factors and bio-active cells in the form of stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

Geraldine Duez

Riverside Recovery of TampaBrotherly Love

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Shettle Eye Research, Inc.Dry Eye Syndrome

Dennis M. Lox, MDTackling Joint Pain

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West Florida

6Cheeky Smiles

Physicians Turn to Experts for Vision Correction

Making Waves

Surgery Circumvented

3Coastal Jaw

Surgery

10Rene M. Reed,

DC, DABCO, NMD

Knoblach Hearing

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12

Stem Cell therapy

MICHAEL A. PIKOS, DDSJOSÉ F. LÁZARO, DMDKENNETH L. ANDERSON, DDSJASON B. BLUNDELL, DDSLINDSEY PIKOS ROSATI, DDS, MSPHILIP J. HEDGER, DMD, MS

Palm Harbor2711 Tampa Rd.

(727) 786-1631Tampa

11940 Sheldon Road

(800) NEW-LOOKTrinity

8845 Hawbuck Street

(727) 375-0469Trinity

Same Day Teeth8740 Mitchell Blvd.

(800) NEW-LOOKSpring Hill

4372 Commercial Way, Suite 4

(352) 596-6804Outside Florida

(727) 877-0011

Coastal Jaw Surgery, The Center for Dental Implants/Facial & Oral Reconstruction, welcomes calls regarding this article and other oral surgical topics. To schedule a complimentary consultation and CT scan, please call or

visit any of their locations:

BEFORE AFTER

have fi ve locations throughout the Tampa Bay area and are members and offi cers of numerous professional organiza-tions, 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, Coastal Jaw Surgery oper-ates the Pinnacle and Hygiene Study Groups for the area’s general dentists.

Kenneth L. Anderson, DDS, is board certifi ed in oral and maxil-lofacial surgery. He earned his DDS degree from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in Minneapolis. He specializes in dental alveolar surgery, zygomatic implants, nerve repositioning for dental implants, temporary implants and temporary crowns for implants, guided implant surgery, complex bone and soft-tissue grafting, general anesthesia, facial trauma, platelet-rich fi brin, and oral pathology, including jaw cysts and tumors. Dr. Anderson assists in teaching dental clinicians in the Tampa Bay area through Coastal Jaw Surgery’s Pinnacle Study Club at the Pikos Institute. He is a member of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Florida Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Dental Association.

K athey Samson is Florida born and bred. She’s originally from Homestead but relo-cated to Brooksville during the summer break between � rst and second grade, so

she considers Brooksville her home. For the past 15 years, she’s worked as a teacher at a small Christian academy in Brooksville. In addition to being a teacher, Kathey is also a loving mother and grandmother.

“I have two children, a boy and a girl, but they’re adults now,” she states. “I have two grandsons, ages eight and ten, but they live in St. Augustine, so I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like. But we do get together several times a year.”

the option of providing the patient with permanent teeth at the time of surgery. Another protocol involves the use of zygomatic implants.

“When people lose their teeth, they also lose bone mass in their jaw, which is where implants are typically placed,” Dr. Anderson informs. “Zygomatic implants are extra-long implants that are anchored in the cheekbones rather than the jawbone.

“� ese implants are a newer alternative to bone grafting, a procedure we do when the patient’s upper jawbone is too thin to support the implant. � at was the case with Kathey, who had a signi� cant de� ciency of bone in her upper jaw.

“So, when we performed Kathey’s Same Day Teeth surgery, we used the zygomatic implants. � ese implants have a success rate of more than ninety-� ve percent, but there are a limited number of surgeons in the US per-forming the zygomatic implant procedure.”

Coastal Jaw Surgery was recently certi� ed as the � rst ZAGA [Zygoma anatomy-guided approach] Center in the United States. � is designation means that their surgeons are certi� ed to place these implants via a protocol for-mulated by Dr. Carlos Aparicio of Barcelona, Spain. In essence, these implants are utilized for patients who have extreme bone loss in the upper jaw and would otherwise not be able to have implants or permanent teeth at all.

“Kathey didn’t want to go through extensive sur-gery,” Dr. Anderson explains. “If we didn’t use zygomatic implants, she would have needed extensive bone grafting that requires six to nine months of healing before the implants can even be placed.

“If Kathey did not get Same Day Teeth with the zygomatic implants and went a traditional route instead, it would have taken a year and a half to two years for her to get her permanent teeth.”

Huge SuccessInstead, she received new teeth right away. Dr. Anderson extracted Kathey’s remaining teeth and placed the dental implants, � ve on the upper jaw and four on the bottom jaw, on the same day. She also received the permanent teeth on that day.

“For the top, I received a denture, which I’ll wear while the implants in my cheekbones heal,” Kathey relates. “I’ll get my permanent upper prosthesis in about � ve months.”

Kathey expected the Same Day Teeth process to be painful, considering everything that’s involved with it. But she was pleasantly surprised to discover that the pro-cess wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

“From the very beginning, Dr. Anderson was very detailed and made sure I understood everything about Same Day Teeth,” Kathey remembers. “He was very knowledge-able and con� dent, so I knew I was in good hands.

“When the surgery was over, Dr. Anderson gave me pain pills, which I took for about a week. But I took them mainly because they contained an anti-in� amma-tory, and that reduced the swelling. Aside from a little swelling, there was really no pain at all.”

Kathey says she’s thrilled with the appearance of the lower appliance she’s already received. � e best part about it: It’s got her smiling again.

“My teeth look great and very natural,” she raves. “� ey’re a very close match to my natural teeth. When people � nd out that my bottom teeth are a prosthesis, they can’t believe it.

“Since I got Same Day Teeth, I feel con� dent that my teeth look good and everything is going to stay in place. I recommend Same Day Teeth to anybody, and I absolutely recommend Dr. Anderson and Coastal Jaw Surgery.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo courtesy of Kathey Samson. Before image

courtesy of Coastal Jaw Surgery. mkb

Unique dentalimplants eliminate

bone grafting

Kathey enjoys teaching, and being with her students makes her happy, as does visiting with her children and grandchildren. For the longest time, she wanted to display her happiness, but issues with her teeth robbed her of her smile.

“I never had great teeth, but in recent years, they became loose and started falling out one by one,” Kathey describes. “I was very self-conscious. It got to the point that I wouldn’t smile. I wouldn’t show my teeth, and when I talked, I put my hand over my mouth.”

Recognizing that Kathey’s teeth were deteriorated beyond what he could repair, her dentist referred her to Coastal Jaw Surgery for a total smile reconstruction. At Coastal Jaw Surgery, Kathey met with Kenneth L. Anderson, DDS, a board-certi� ed oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

“Kathey was referred for treatment of several dental issues,” Dr. Anderson recalls. “She had two failing dental implants, periodontal disease and an unstable bite. Her teeth didn’t come together properly, and it was noticeable on her facial pro� le.

“Upon examination, it was readily apparent that she needed extensive treatment, but she was a good candidate for our Same Day Teeth® process. I explained what Coastal Jaw Surgery o� ers with Same Day Teeth, and she decided to proceed with that treatment.”

Replacement Options� e dentists at Coastal Jaw Surgery have performed the Same Day Teeth protocol since 2009. � ey stand out from other practices o� ering similar processes because they have multiple protocols for performing the proce-dure. Most practices have one or two.

“We have all the tools in the shed,” Dr. Anderson observes. “We have four di� erent protocols for Same Day Teeth. We choose the one to use based on the patient’s needs and dental situation.

“One protocol is for placing implants and converting the patient’s existing denture to � t over the implants. Another protocol involves fully computer-based guided surgery. With that, we � rst perform the surgery on the computer, which generates a template for implant placement that is arranged in the patient’s mouth during the actual surgery.”

All of the protocols used at Coastal Jaw Surgery involve providing patients with their � nal prostheses on the day of implant surgery. Not all dental practices have Are your eyes dry, irritated or burning?

Do you sometimes find it hard to focus your eyes when you have been reading or using the computer for a long time?

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

This study involves 4 visits over 4 weeks

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

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Contact:Shettle Eye Research, Inc.

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L e e S h e t t l e, D O, i s board cer t i f ied b y t h e A m e r i c a n Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology. H e r e c e i v e d h i s B a c h e l o r ’s d e gre e

in Biology from Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, then earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following an internship at Sun Coast Osteopathic Hospital in Largo, FL, Dr. Shettle completed a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Dr. Shettle then completed an ophthalmology residency at the Detroit Osteopathic Ophthalmology Consortium in Highland Park, MI, and an advanced cataract and refractive surgery fellowship in Aurora, CO.

LEE SHETTLE, DO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clinical study investigates treatment for dry eye disease

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

Page 2 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 3Oral and maxillOfaCial SurgeryOphthalmOlOgy reSearCh

DreamsSweetEnd back pain

with minimally invasive laser procedures

Laura Wall

JAMES ST. LOUIS, DOBRETT MENMUIR, MD

James St. Louis, DO, earned his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He received his osteo-pathic medicine degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, and completed his surgical training in the US Army and at Kennedy Medical Center in Cherry Hill, NJ. Dr. St. Louis is a member of many medical organizations including the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Medical Association and American Association of Physician Specialists.

Brett Menmuir, MD, earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University and his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in orthopedic spine surgery as well as a fellowship at Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis, MN. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Society of Lateral Access Surgery and AO Spine.

Leaders in Interventional Pain Management and

Minimally Invasive Laser Spine Surgery

To learn more, visit them online at PPOASpine.com

(877) 331-6603

St. Petersburg th Avenue N, Suite B

Tampa N Habana Avenue, Suite

Physician Partners of America is committed to providing the highest levels of compassionate, patient-centered care possible. They have 20 locations across Florida to serve you. To schedule a consultation with one of their pain management or minimally inva-sive laser spine specialists in the greater Tampa area, call or visit:

T he nightmare began five years ago for Michigan native Laura Wall. That’s when the former Ford

Motor Company employee � rst expe-rienced stabbing pain in her lower back. Her doctor diagnosed the problem as spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spi-nal canal and neuroforamen, in the areas where nerves exit the spinal cord though the vertebrae.

“It was an excruciating, throbbing, sharp pain in my lower back, and it was getting very achy,” Laura, 64, shares. “And it was constant. It didn’t last just for � ve minutes. � e pain was present every hour, every day, whether I was sitting or lying down.”

Over the years, Laura’s spinal stenosis deteriorated further, and her back pain intensified. Two years ago, the pain became so unpleasant, it began interfering with her daily endeavors. By that time, Laura had retired and was looking ahead to a long, active retirement in the warmer Florida climate. But her back condi-tion threatened to derail those plans.

“� e pain increased until I couldn’t walk very far without holding my back in extreme agony,” Laura relates. “I could hardly walk to the mailbox from my house, which is only six houses down, without pain. I couldn’t swim. I could hardly stand up, but I couldn’t sit for very long, either. � e pain was a ten on a scale of one to ten.”

In search of a solution to her agoniz-ing back problem, Laura turned to several spine specialists for their expert guidance. She visited one specialist while still living in Michigan and two others after she moved to Florida. None had good news for her.

“� e doctors said they couldn’t help me,” she recalls. “� ey said I would have to have major surgery on my discs, and it probably still wouldn’t help with the pain. I cried when I heard that. I thought, Here I am retired, and I can’t do anything because of my back. My life was just terrible at that point.”

Laura’s fortunes began to change in early 2018 after she heard about a seminar on minimally invasive spine sur-gery that was o� ered by the spine specialists at Physician Partners of America. She decided to attend the seminar, and there she met James St. Louis, DO, director of Physician Partners of America’s Minimally Invasive Spine Group. Dr. St. Louis gave Laura what the other doctors did not: hope.

After reviewing her MRI, Dr. St. Louistold Laura she didn’t need major sur-gery on her discs. Instead, he could perform a minimally invasive spine procedure that would relieve her pain. Laura was ecstatic and agreed.

Sparing MusclesWhen it comes to surgery, the term “minimally invasive” is typically equated

with a procedure per-formed through smaller incisions than those u sed dur ing open surgery. But with min-imally invasive spine procedures, there’s more

to it than that. These procedures are muscle-sparing as well.

“During traditional open surgery on the back or neck, the muscles are cut away from the bone so that the surgeon can visualize the area and see what he or she is doing to the spine,” describes Dr. St. Louis,who is a pioneer in the � eld. “And once a muscle is cut, it is damaged forever and can no longer function appropriately.

“ D u r i n g minimally invasive spine surgery, the muscles are not cut at all. Instead, we insert special dilators between the muscle

� bers and simply push the muscles aside. � is way, we preserve the muscles and their function.”

Because surgeons spare the muscles, and use smaller incisions during mini-mally invasive spine surgery, there is less bleeding, less pain and a quicker recovery. It can be performed as an outpatient pro-cedure rather than requiring a several-day hospital stay.

Surgeons at Physician Partners of America can also use minimally invasive techniques to perform procedures such as laminotomy and foraminotomy using a laser. � ese procedures make room for nerves that are pinched at the openings between the discs or at the neuroforamen.

“We use various instruments to move past the muscles and get to the bone,” explains Brett Menmuir, MD, another Physician Partners of America minimally invasive spine surgeon. “Guided by the patient’s MRI, we assess what is pinching the nerve. It could be a bone spur, a thickened ligament, a cyst or a piece of herniated disc material. We use a laser to free up the nerve by remov-ing whatever is pinching it.

“Using this technique, patients generally have significant

improvement in their pain. And the procedures are performed through an incision that is typically an inch or smaller.”

“A New Life”Laura had a laminotomy

and foraminotomy to relieve her agonizing back pain. Dr. St. Louis used a laser that enabled him to target the speci� c area of her low back that was the source of her problem: lumbar discs three and four.

“Apparently, swollen nerves were wrapped around my spinal cord,” Laura describes. “During surgery, Dr. St. Louis shaved a little bit o� of my spine to make room for the nerves. I walked out of the hospital the same day. I received excellent care, and after two days, I felt fantastic.”

Laura underwent her minimally inva-sive spine procedure in March 2018. Now, more than a year later, she’s still amazed by the surgery’s overwhelming success.

“It’s been a new life for me since I had this surgery,” Laura raves. “Now, I can sleep, I can bend over, I can sit for hours. Everything I couldn’t do before I

can do now. And my pain level is zero. It was zero two days after surgery.

“Now, I can walk to the mailbox and walk long distances. I couldn’t walk very far for � ve years. Now, I walk � ve miles a day. Since my surgery, I can do every-thing without any back pain whatsoever. And it’s been wonderful. I’m going to be sixty-� ve in September, and I’m having the time of my life.”

� e other doctors Laura visited gave her little hope of � nding relief from her ago-nizing back pain, but she de� ed their dire prognoses. She’s especially pleased that her retirement plans are back on schedule. Her nightmare is back to being a sweet dream.

“Getting this minimally invasive laser spine surgery was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Laura enthuses. “It changed my whole retirement life. Now, I can swim. I can play with my grandkids. I can sit and do my pottery. I like to shop, and now I can. I can walk in the park and on the beach. I can do anything I want.

“What’s better than walking out the front door after surgery and going home, relaxing for a day or two, then carrying on with your life the way you want? � ere is no better way to deal with severe back pain than that. So yes, I think min-imally invasive spine surgery at Physician Partners of America is fantastic. I really appreciate what they did for me.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. mkb

Page 4 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 5

Barry LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloLisa Buie

Editorial Staff

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Nerissa JohnsonKristy EllenbeckerGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszPhotography

Steve TurkGary Smith

Aldy LaracuenteBob Mize

Charlie SmithDistribution

Shyan Blaze ClarkAlliyah Lawrence

Intern

Regenerative Orthopedic Institute

Stem Cell Therapy

Shettle Eye Research, Inc.Ophthalmology Research

Coastal Jaw SurgeryOral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Physician Partners of AmericaLaser Spine Surgery

The Eye Institute of West FloridaOphthalmology

HemWell AmericaHemorrhoid Treatment

Zimmer Medical ServicesConcierge Medicine

Dennis M. Lox, MDPhysical Medicine

Rene M. Reed, DC, DABCO, NMDAlternative Medicine

Riverside Recovery of TampaAddiction Treatment

Knoblach Hearing CareHearing Health Care

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

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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 certifi 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.

Don’t Operate, REGENERATEFor more information about stem cell therapy, please call

or visit Regenerative Orthopedic Institute in Tampa at:

8011 North Himes Avenue, Suite 3

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

“Stem cells are the body’s natural repair cells and are capable of healing and repairing tissue. � ey are also highly anti-in� ammatoryand release many growth factors within the joints that stimu-late healing and repair.”

Stem cells are not assigned to be a speci� c type of cell. When placed in an area and stimulated appropriately, stem cells can develop as cells of that area, replacing the worn out or damaged tissue there. In joints, for example, stem cells can become carti-lage cells and rebuild that deteriorated tissue. � at’s the essence of regenerative medicine.

Platelets are specialized cells found in blood. � ey are the cells responsible for clotting at the site of an injury, and they contain many healing substances and growth factors that can stimulate and assist stem cells in their regenerative activity.

“The process of using stem cells and PRP results in a safe, effective treatment,” Dr. Grana assures. “And unlike traditional surgery, which can result in blood loss, scarring and long, pain-ful recovery periods, stem cell therapy requires only injections into the damaged joint.

“It also o� ers a much quicker recovery than surgery. Typically, patients begin to feel a noticeable decrease in pain after six weeks.”

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

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

“When I was � rst introduced to stem cell therapy, I recognized its tremendous potential for patients who would otherwise have lim-ited treatment options for pain relief,” Dr. Grana notes. “Patients with osteoarthritis, in particular, have very few choices other than surgery when the condition advances and damages the joint.

“Surgery has potential complications, so when we treat arthritic joints without surgery, patients do much better. Not only can we relieve the patient’s pain, but we can also reverse some of the damage done by the osteoarthritis. � is is accomplished by regenerating the cartilage and connective tissues in and around the joint area.”

Dr. Grana has developed a system for the delivery of stem cells and PRP into the pain generators in and around joints such as the knees, shoulders and hips. It’s called RegenaJoint™. He used this technique on Geraldine’s left knee.

He has also developed a similar system to treat the spine called RegenaSpine™, which he used on Geraldine’s low back and sciatic

pain. RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine are both minimally invasive procedures that are performed right in the doctor’s o� ce using a local anesthetic. Patients typically resume normal activities imme-diately following the procedure.

“Dr. Grana took fatty tissue from my stomach and took the stem cells from that,” Geraldine recalls. “Then he got platelets from the blood he took from my arm. He mixed the stem cells

and platelets together and injected the combination into my back and knee.”

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

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

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

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

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

Geraldine, an active gardener, is reaping the benefi ts of her stem cell therapy.

Stem Cell therapy laSer Spine Surgery

“It’s a painless, easy operation that changes your quality of life like no other operation in existence. And when you have a specialist such as Dr. Weinstock perform that surgery with the science and technology we have now, you can and should expect incred-ible outcomes.”

Family MattersAs she worked her way through college, the thought of following in the footsteps of her father, Dr. Schwartz, crossed Danielle G laucoma specialist

Je� rey Schwartz, MD, is currently celebrating his 30th year as a mem-ber of the team of vision care experts at � e Eye

Institute of West Florida. It’s a celebration that got o� to a rather interesting beginning.

In early January, Dr. Schwartz noticed he was no longer see-ing as clearly as he was accustomed to out of his right eye, which had long been the eye that needed the stronger prescrip-tion contact or eyeglass lens to bring his overall vision to 20/20.

“I wear contact lenses about ninety percent of the time, the major exception being when I operate,’’ Dr. Schwartz explains. “When I operate, I don’t wear contact lenses or glasses because I can see better through the microscope without them.

“What I noticed, however, was that with or without my contact lenses or glasses, I wasn’t seeing as well out of my right eye as I was out of my left eye. Naturally, that con-cerned me a little bit.”

Dr. Schwartz’s concerns prompted him to get a routine eye examination, which showed that the vision in his right eye had indeed deteriorated a bit. A new pair of glasses did not correct the problem.

“That’s when I began to assume the worst,’’ Dr. Schwartz reveals. “I was worried I might have a retina problem or possibly even glaucoma. � ankfully, further exam-inations showed that was not the case. What there was, however, was a cataract.”

Cataract Risk Factors• Advancing age• Ultraviolet

radiation from sunlight and other sources

• Diabetes• Hypertension• Obesity• Prolonged use

of corticosteroid medications

• Smoking• High myopia

• Nutritional defi ciency

• Statin medication

• Previous eye injury, infl ammation or surgery

• Hormone therapy

• Signifi cant alcohol consumption

• Family history

How Cataracts DevelopCataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people older than and the principal cause of blindness in the world. More than million Americans are expected to have cataracts by .

The lens of the eye works similarly to a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina to achieve clear vision. The lens 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. This protein allows for visual clarity and for light to pass through. But as part of the aging process, the protein begins to clump and cloud a portion of the lens, resulting in a cataract.

Cataracts start out small with little eff ect on vision. Because cataracts progress slowly, people don’t notice they’re having dif-fi culty seeing until it impacts their normal activities. Their vision may become blurred, akin to looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Colors may appear less bright. Light from the sun, a lamp or oncoming headlights may cause more glare than before.

Over time, the cataract may obscure more of the lens, reduc-ing the sharpness of the image reaching the retina.

Cloudy Vision Cataracts develop naturally as a result of either a breakdown of the eye’s lens fibers or a clumping of the eye’s pro-teins or both. They usually result in blurred vision, an increase in the eye’s sensitivity to light and/or a reduction in the vibrancy of colors.

� ere is no known way to prevent or slow the development of cataracts, which typ-ically form as part of the natural aging process. But surgery to remove cataracts has become one of the more com-mon procedures in all of medicine.

Until about five years ago, Dr. Schwartz was performing some cataract surgery at � e Eye Institute of West Florida. He has since turned those duties over

to other physicians, so after learning of his own diagnosis, he knew exactly whom he wanted to perform his surgery.

“I believe experience and technology lead to the best outcome,” Dr. Schwartz reveals. “And I know for certain that The Eye Institute of West Florida has not only the most experienced surgeons but the state-of-the-art technology that allows for that outcome.”

An Honor and a PrivilegeOne of those surgeons is Robert J. Weinstock, MD, a board-certified,fellowship-trained cataract and refractive surgeon who has been practicing at � e Eye Institute of West Florida since 2001 and is now the Director of Cataract and Refractive Services at the center.

Dr. Weinstock has performed cataract surgery on many fellow eye surgeons and physicians, but he says it was a special honor to be chosen by Dr. Schwartz to perform a procedure so important to his life and his life’s work.

“It’s a very high compliment, one of the highest compliments an eye surgeon can receive, to have another eye surgeon say they trust you with their vision,’’ Dr. Weinstock says. “And Dr. Schwartz is a practicing ophthalmologist who does microscopic eye surgery.

“When you consider how detailed his vision needs to be, you realize it’s not just his well-being that’s at stake but the well-being of his patients. � at’s why we decided not to wait to do his surgery.

“His cataract was mild, but when you consider his line of work, it was critical that we do the surgery as soon as possible so he could perform glaucoma surgery on his patients.”

Once the decision was made to have the surgery, Dr. Schwartz had to decide on the type of lens to use. On the advice of Dr. Weinstock, he chose a monofocal lens designed to improve his distance vision and laser astigmatism correction at the same time.

“We didn’t want to go with a bifocal or multifocal lens because with his occupation, we need all light rays focusing together,’’ Dr. Weinstock says. “We were also treating just the one eye, and that plays a part in that decision as well.

“� e brain doesn’t tolerate it very well when you have a multifocal implant in one eye and your natural lens or a monofocal implant in the other. So, we chose a lens that provides very high-contrast, crystal-clear optics and great distance vision.”

Leading-Edge Cataract SurgeryDr. Weinstock performed the surgery using a laser to correct Dr. Schwartz’s astigma-tism and soften the old lens. He then used a special machine called the ORA™ to ensure Dr. Schwartz was left with the clearest vision possible.

“� e ORA measures the eye once the cataract is out and gives us information

about the prescription of the eye and which exact power lens is going to match up well with that eye,” Dr. Weinstock informs.

The surgery was performed late on a � ursday. By Friday, Dr. Schwartz says he was seeing 20/20 out of his right eye without glasses or contact lenses. By the following Monday, he was back at work and seeing better than he had in years.

“By the time I returned to work on Monday, my eye was not red or irritated in any way, and my vision had returned to

Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, FACS, is a board-certifi ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, special-izing in refractive cataract surgery. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in , pioneering subspecialty eye care in Pinellas County. Today, as President and Medical Director, Dr. Weinstock is recognized as a world-renowned cataract and LASIK surgeon. He is one of the few surgeons in the country certifi ed by the American Board of Eye Surgery in both cataract and LASIK surgery. Dr. Weinstock is also an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida.

Robert J. Weinstock, MD, is a board-certifi ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in cataract, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock joined the practice in . He is the Director of Cataract and Refractive Services at The Eye Institute of West Florida and The Weinstock Laser Eye Center. He also serves as the Surgical Director of the Largo Ambulatory Surgery Center. He is the Chief Medical Editor of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today. In addition to performing thousands of vision-correcting cataract and LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is 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 board-certifi ed, 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 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.

Complimentary 3-D Cataract

SeminarsThe Eye Institute of West Florida

will conduct special cataract seminars for Florida Health Care News readers on the following

dates:

Monday, October 21 at :pm

Monday, November 18at :pm

(727) 914-5064

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:

Largo West Bay Drive

Clearwater McMullen-Booth Road

Building A, Suite

St. Petersburg Central Ave.

Tampa N. Howard Ave.,

Suite

Tampa Sheldon Road

(727) 914-5064

See For Yourself!

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

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

Perfect TimingAs she usually does, Danielle received that check-up at � e Eye Institute of West Florida, where her father and cousin, Dr. Weinstock, work. After the exam, Danielle heard a famil-iar refrain from the two eye specialists.

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

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

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

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

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

As he does with all potential LASIK patients, Dr. Weinstock began his work with Danielle by performing a series of tests to determine her candidacy. � e tests measure the

shape and thickness of the cornea and check for retinal damage, cataracts and glaucoma.

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

“And because she’s so young, the lenses inside her eyes still flex very well, which means she can still read up close without glasses. After surgery, she would have the best of both worlds, meaning she wouldn’t need glasses or contacts for distance vision or reading.”

Quick and PainlessLASIK surgery can be performed in a matter of minutes, but because of her work sched-ule, Danielle waited until the week of the July 4th holiday to have her LASIK surgery performed. � e experience, she says, was even better than she expected.

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

“It surprised me how soothing and relaxing it was for me just to hear their voices during the procedure. It helped to make what I know is a very detailed and complex procedure seem like it was one of the easiest things I’d ever been through.

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

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

(727) 914-5064

Custom LASIK CONSULTATIONS

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

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

ROBERT J. WEINSTOCK, MDNEEL R. DESAI, MD

JASMINE MOHADJER, MDJANIE A. HO, MD

VASILIOS F. DIAKONIS, MDSANDRA M. JOHNSON, MD

STEVEN E. KANE, MDSIDDARTH RATHI, MD

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

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

Photo of Danielle and Robert courtesy of The Eye Institute of

West Florida. ke

For more information, please visit www.eyespecialist.com

Danielle Schwartz-Wooster and

Robert J. Weinstock, MD

When Dr. Schwartz (left) learned he needed cataract surgery, he trusted his friend and associate Dr. Weinstock (right) to do the job.

Schwartz-Wooster’s mind. But only brie� y. Knowing she wanted to do something in the health � eld, she eventually opted instead to become a dentist.

“My best friend’s father is a dentist, and after shadowing him at work for a while, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” says Danielle, who now practices in South Carolina, where her work often forces her to wear a specialized pair of glasses that magnify everything she sees in her patients’ mouths. She recently learned that wearing those glasses can have some disadvantages as well.

Je� rey Schwartz, MD

what it was fifteen or twenty years ago,’’ Dr. Schwartz relates. “And I just can’t tell you how much that changes your life.

“When I get up in the morning now, my vision is crisp and clear, and colors are much brighter. And I had only a mild cataract. Still, the di� erence it has made having that cataract removed has been drastic.

“With every patient I speak to now who is considering having cataract surgery, I tell them, Look at my eye, because a month ago, I had cataract surgery, and now, I’m seeing as clear as I’ve seen since I was a kid.

Page 6 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 7OphthalmOlOgy

Innovative, Thorough and Compassionate Care

Zimmer Medical Services is readily available to assist those who want a more comprehensive physician-patient experience. To learn more about concierge medicine, call them or visit the practice in St. Petersburg at:

509 Jackson St. North

(727) 502-2626To � nd out more, check out Zimmer Medical Services online at www.zimmercm.com

Michael A. Zimmer, MD, MACP, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a master of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Zimmer completed his undergraduate studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his medical degree from Jeff erson Medical College in Philadelphia and then continued studies in general surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. Dr. Zimmer did post-graduate training in internal medicine at Morristown Memorial Hospital, a Columbia University affi liate, in Morristown, NJ. He is currently a clinical assistant professor of

medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa. He served as president of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians, where he was elected to Mastership and Fellowship. He serves on the Florida Medical Delegation to the American Medical Association and is also a member of the Pinellas County Medical Society.

MICHAEL A. ZIMMER, MD, MACP

I n their retirement, Jerome and Annette Baesel like to travel. � ey’re away from their Florida home four to � ve months out of the year. � ey feel

their health is in good hands when they’re traveling because wherever they go, they have their primary care physician with them.

Michael A. Zimmer, MD, the Baesels’ physician, is a board-certified internist with Zimmer Medical Services in St. Petersburg who practices concierge medicine. With this practice model, phy-sicians see fewer patients, so they are able to spend more time with the patients they see. � ey are also accessible to their patients after hours by phone and email.

For Dr. Zimmer, that accessibility includes when his patients are traveling.

“� e ability to reach Dr. Zimmer by email and text when we travel is a bene� t of his concierge practice I didn’t foresee,” Annette relates. “If something comes up while we’re away, we can contact him, and he responds right away.

“This summer, while we were in Canada, we thought Jerry had an infected bug bite. We contacted Dr. Zimmer by email, and he � gured out it was actually shingles. We found out what the problem was and what to do about it while in a place where it would’ve been di� cult to � nd a doctor who’d treat us.”

“Concierge physicians see patients the traditional way, of course, but we also have the bene� t of using technology to com-municate with them,” observes the doctor. “We can provide care without forcing patients to physically be in the o� ce.”

Dr. Zimmer recalls the occasion of Jerome’s shingles. He remembers being in constant contact with the Baesels as they gave a detailed description of Jerome’s symptoms. With that information, Dr. Zimmer was able to make his diagnosis, then carefully relay instructions for Jerome’s treatment to the couple in Canada.

“I started Jerome on medication to relieve the pain related to the shingles infection,” Dr. Zimmer states. “� e med-ications we use have side e� ects, so I have to monitor those and adjust the dose of medication accordingly. This usually requires frequent face-to-face visits.

“In this case, however, I was able to use the internet and phone to stay in touch with Annette and Jerome, engage Jerome’s response to the medi-cation and adjust as needed. I was able to provide the appropriate care while they were in Montreal.”

Best Benefi tFor Jerome, the extra time Dr. Zimmer spends with him is one of the best bene� ts of concierge medicine.

“We have three meetings each year when we spend half an hour on my issues,” Jerome describes. “Dr. Zimmer reviews everything in my � le beforehand, so he’s familiar with my issues when we sit down and talk. He addresses whatever issue I want to talk about.

“Annette and I are exceedingly happy with the concierge practice.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo courtesy of Jerome

and Annette Baesel. mkb

Constant Contact� e concierge model works well for trav-eling patients, notes Dr. Zimmer, because physicians who practice this way are not limited by the regulations of Medicare and commercial insurance. � ese insurers require o� ce appointments for physicians to provide care to patients.

Jerome and Annette Baesel

Physician by PhoneConcierge practice is accessible to traveling patients

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

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

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

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

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

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

have them to some degree.”Most sufferers are

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Patient’s name withheld at his request.

Quick, Easy and E� ective Safe, nonsurgical

treatment relieves

hemorrhoids

Microcurrent Electrolysis Hemorrhoid Treatment

• FDA-approved• Well-tolerated – no anesthesia

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

Medicare• Highly eff ective and safe

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

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

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

today or visit one of their offi ces:

Pinellas Park5265 Park Blvd., Suite 101

Tampa4809 Armenia Ave., Suite 240

8553 W. Linebaugh Ave.

(855) 697-WELL (9355)

LINH B. NGUYEN, MD

Visit www.hemwellamerica.com

Derrick Brooks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Individualized Quality Care

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

Drew Street (727) 308-5853

Beverly Hills, CA(310) 982-2652

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

Visit them on the web at www.drlox.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T

Dennis M. Lox, MD, is a world recognized Sports and Regenerative Medicine Specialist. Dr. Lox did his undergraduate studies at The University of Arizona and did his medical training in Texas, with a Residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Lox, began practicing Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine in Florida in . During this time, he edited two medical textbooks and eight medical textbook chapters. Dr. Lox, has written numerous scientifi c abstracts in the fi eld of Sports and Regenerative Medicine and presented his fi ndings at Scientifi c Medical Conferences on Tissue Engineering. He has treated patients from around the world, including celebrities, professional athletes, and patients just wanting a better quality of life.

Page 8 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 9

COnCierge mediCine

hemOrrhOid treatment phySiCal mediCine

Specializing in Good Results

Through his unique approach to alternative medicine, Dr. Reed treats diffi cult cases and people who have

been unable to fi nd a solution to their problems elsewhere. If you fi t this category, call or visit Dr. Reed.

Good results are his specialty.Clearwater

611 Druid Rd. East, Suite 308

(727) 286-6163

RENE M. REED, DC, DABCO, NMD

Visit them on the web at rene-reed-dc.business.site and at practice.gainswave.com/dr-rene-reed

Rene M. Reed, DC, DABCO, NMD, has been in practice for years and has a long history of using leading-edge technologies for his patients’ health and welfare. He graduated from an integrative medical school and rotated through the Cook County Hospital Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Reed began private practice in in Evergreen, Colorado and later became an acupuncturist with a sub-specialty in nutrition. He has studied IV and nutrient therapies and has a degree as a Naturopathic Medical Doctor. He has continued his education in genetic studies and hormone therapies and currently treats people from around the world, matching individual genetics to nutritional programs geared to provide the best care for his patients, along with hormone balancing, orthopedic care, GI

studies, blood and lab testing and acoustic wave therapy for better optimal sexual function. Dr. Reed is licensed in Florida as a chiropractic physician practicing as an orthopedic specialist, acupuncturist. He utilizes his medical education to provide the most up-to-date care for his patients, including acoustic wave therapy for patients with sexual function issues.

Safe nonsurgical alternative to drugs erases erectile dysfunctionM ak ing W a vesW h e n E s t e b a n *

married his wife 48 years ago, the native of Barcelona, Spain knew he was

entering into a lifelong romantic partner-ship. What he didn’t know was that he was also entering into what would eventually become a business partnership.

“My wife is from Portugal, and after we moved to Florida some thirty-five years ago, we realized there was a business opportunity here for us translating legal and medical documents from Spanish and Portuguese into English,’’ Esteban explains.

“We’ve been doing that for more than thirty years now, and it’s been a good business for us. It’s something we can do out of our home, which is convenient, and there’s enough demand to make a good living from it.”

Esteban, who turned 80 earlier this year, says he keeps his translation busi-ness going in part because it keeps him mentally active. As for physical activity, Esteban stays in tune by walking daily and working out at a gym three days a week.

Esteban says those workouts have him feeling like he’s at least 20 years younger than he really is. � ere is, however, one area where, for a little more than a year, Esteban hasn’t been feeling so young and vibrant. � at area is in the bedroom.

“It wasn’t quite two years ago that I suddenly began to have problems with erectile dysfunction,’’ Esteban reveals. “After struggling with that for a couple of months, I � nally decided to get some treatment for it.

“� e � rst doctor I went to told me my testosterone was low, so he gave me testos-terone treatments. But that really didn’t help much. In fact, it made things worse because it gave me bad acne on my chest.

“� en one day, I was in a doctor’s o� ce with my wife, and she was reading this newspaper, Florida Health Care News. She saw an article about a doctor who had a new treatment for erectile dysfunction and suggested I go see him.”

� e doctor Esteban’s wife read about is Rene M. Reed, DC, NMD. Dr. Reed is a chiropractic orthopedic specialist and naturopathic medical doctor who specializes in integrative medicine and a revolutionary, noninvasive treatment for erectile dysfunction.

� at treatment is called extracorporeal acoustic wave therapy, and it does what medications such as VIAGRA® and CIALIS® cannot do, which is correct the underlying cause of erectile dysfunction, or ED.

That underlying cause is often the result of a lack of circulation to the penis caused by a build-up of plaque in

the chambers of the penis that normally expand when � lled with blood. � e plaque build-up interferes with blood � ow to this vital area responsible for good erections.

“Wholistic” Approach “I started providing acoustic wave treatments because I’ve seen erec-tile dysfunction, or ED, destroy relationships and devastate men,” Dr. Reed explains. “I’ve literally had grown men cry in front of me over it.

“I also do genetic testing to deter-mine if genetic defects are contributing to a patient’s ED, because acoustic wave therapy may work more e� ectively if the underlying genetic issues are treated.

“We look at all the players responsible for good erections and sexual function because when a man is not functioning like he is used to, he feels like less of a man. When Esteban came to me, that’s how he was feeling.”

Like Esteban’s previous physician, Dr. Reed discovered through his testing that one of the causes of Esteban’s erectile dysfunction was a lack of testosterone, which is not abnormal for a man over the age of 40.

Every year after that age, testosterone levels in men drop by ten to 20 percent, Dr. Reed educates. His � rst objective in treating Esteban, then, was to regulate his hormones, which Dr. Reed had done with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT.

BHRT is designed to boost hormone levels through the application of a natural testosterone cream to the inner thighs or

scrotum. It is one of several treatments that Dr. Reed combines with acoustic wave therapy to obtain optimum results.

“We look at everything, including any side effects from medications the patient may be taking, to learn the true cause of his erectile dysfunction,” Dr. Reed says. “And, in treating that, we take what I call an integrative wholistic approach, meaning we treat everything.’’

� at treatment begins with acoustic wave therapy, which is delivered through a small, handheld device that creates a series of short, painless pulsations that break up the plaque and calcium that have built up inside the blood vessels in the penis.

� ose pulsations not only stimulate the growth of new nerve tissue, which is vital for achieving and maintaining healthy erections, but they also correct Peyronie’s disease, a condition where tissue build-up causes an abnormal left or right bend to the penis.

“In addition to the acoustic wave therapy, we also put patients on a penis pump,’’ Dr. Reed notes. “We have them use the pump for about � fteen minutes each night in an effort to engorge the penis with blood on a nightly basis.

“We do that because it pulls blood into the sacs on either side of the shaft of the penis that are accountable for an erection. � at daily blood � ow is important because it helps to wash out the plaque that is being broken up by the acoustic wave therapy.

“Another thing we do is ask our patients to take two nitric oxide pills each day. � at helps to dilate the blood vessels all throughout the body, including in the penis, which allows for even further blood � ow.

“So again, we’re hitting this problem from all angles. It’s a concentrated e� ort to break up the plaque, improve blood � ow to the penis, generate new blood vessels and provide nutrients that help all that happen.”

Remarkable Results Acoustic wave therapy treatments last about 30 minutes, with patients typically receiving two such treatments per week for a span

of six weeks. Esteban underwent his � rst treatment in June and began BHRT shortly thereafter. � e results have astounded him.

“I’m eighty years old, and I honestly thought I’d reached the end of the line in terms of sexual performance, but that’s not the case,’’ he says. “My ability to obtain an erection and keep it has been improving steadily for the past few months.

“It doesn’t come back all at once. It takes some time. But the combination of treatments Dr. Reed prescribed for me has de� nitely worked. Now, I not only feel like I’m a lot younger, but in the bedroom, I can perform like I’m a lot younger.

“I’m really glad I found Dr. Reed and so is my wife. He’s very down to earth and very smart. When I � rst went to see him, he told me he doesn’t believe in just throwing a pill at this problem because that won’t work, and now, I know what he means.”

Dr. Reed says Esteban is one of his best success stories.

“Most men who are eighty years old have long since hung up their holster, but that’s not Esteban,’’ he says. “He’s still very active sexually. He hasn’t thrown in the towel, and I can see what a di� erence it’s made for him.

“He feels, acts and talks like a man much younger than he is, and when you feel younger, you think younger and move like a younger man. � at’s what I’ve seen with him, so yes, he is de� nitely one of our great success stories.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. mkb

*Patient’s name changed at his request

Break Free From Addiction

Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease

that can steal your happiness and your

life. If you suffer from the disease

of addiction, Riverside Recovery

of Tampa is here to help with its

comprehensive treatment. For more

information, call or visit their offi ce at:

4004 N. Riverside Drive

(800) 871-5440

of Tampa

Visit them at www.rrtampa.com

Strange behavior a sign of substance abuse

Christian Sicignano, RN

Unsure why it happened, Jackie* felt helpless as she watched her younger brother Stephan* deteri-

orate before her eyes. He went from a happy, energetic man who loved to build furniture and go dancing to a moody, lethargic person with no interest in woodworking or social activities. She thought he was depressed and would eventually snap out of it.

“But he didn’t snap out of it,” Jackie recalls. “Instead, he got worse. Stephan went for days without showering or shaving, and he started staying up all night. He stopped eating well and lost twenty pounds. But he was drinking excessively.

“Stephan gave excuses to avoid attending family functions and refused to allow anyone into his home. He started neglecting his job and was o� cially repri-manded. And the only time he spoke to his friends was to ask them for money.”

Jackie became so concerned about her brother that she went to a counselor to ask for advice on how to help him. She was surprised by what the counselor told her: � e signs Stephan was showing were those of substance abuse.

“� ere are two major categories of signs exhibited by people who are actively abusing substances,” Christian Sicignano, RN, Director of Nursing at Riverside Recovery of Tampa, observes. “� ere are physical signs and behavioral signs.

“One of the physical signs is leth-argy, especially if people are actively using. Substance abusers may have a chronic runny nose or loss of physical coordination. � ey may totally neglect their personal hygiene or activities of daily living. � ey may experience appetite changes, weight changes or tremors. � ey may smell of alcohol and have irregular sleep patterns, which are common with addiction.”

Christian goes on to describe some of the behavioral signs that a person who is currently struggling with substance abuse may exhibit.

“Substance abusers may engage in secretive behavior,” he adds. “Family and friends may notice deceit or dishonesty in their interactions with them. Substance abusers may neglect their responsibilities and begin to exhibit poor performance at work or school. � ey may start missing work or school.

“In addition, substance abusers may run into � nancial problems. � ey often don’t have enough money to keep up with their monthly bills and start asking people to borrow money. � ere are often changes in the substance abuser’s habits. � ey stop doing things they used to enjoy.

“But the biggest thing we see with substance abusers is isolation. � ey begin to separate themselves from their friends and family, which is a concern because that’s their support system.”

For friends and family members who notice some of these signs of active substance abuse in a loved one, there are a few steps they can take to help the substance abuser. The first thing they can do is reach out to substance abuse resources within the community. � ese resources can provide direction on how to proceed in � nding their loved ones the care they need.

behavioral health techs. � e nursing sta� care for clients during this di� cult stage of their treatment.

“Riverside Recovery o� ers detox for benzodiazepines, opiates and alcohol,” Christian notes. “The nursing staff closely monitor clients during the detox stage. Depending on the substance they’re detoxing from, clients may be given medi-cation. � e behavioral health techs check on clients in detox every thirty minutes.”

Nurses in the Residential Program schedule and administer medications. Sometimes, clients experience symptoms of post-acute withdrawal during this

Creature ComfortsOne of the factors that set Riverside Recovery of Tampa apart from other treatment centers is its strong emphasis on comfort during the recovery process. � e sta� at Riverside Recovery work to be as cooperative as possible to make the process comfortable, yet productive.

“We understand life doesn’t stop when a client enters treatment, so we try to accommodate them, within reason, so they can keep up with their responsibilities while in detox,” Christian states. “We allow clients to bring in their personal electronics so they can take care of business or do homework if they’re in school.

“We allow clients to focus on getting better and still take care of the outside world, as long as they attend their group sessions during the day.”

Substance abusers often have triggers that initiate their substance abuse. Some say, I drink because of my job, I drink because of school or I use this substance because of � nancial hardships.

“Clients face these triggers while in recovery, but they don’t snowball until they leave treatment and have to deal with all of their stressors,” Christian informs. “With our approach, clients deal with many of their stressors while they’re in treatment. � ey don’t get hit with them all at once when they leave treatment.”

When clients complete detox and move to the Residential Program, they’re able to recognize their triggers and stressors, and with their therapists, they can pinpoint where those stressors come from.

“With their therapists’ help, clients learn new coping mechanisms that are healthy,” Christian explains, “as opposed to abusing their substance of choice.”

Jackie heard about Riverside Recovery of Tampa from a coworker and told the rest of her family. They agreed it was the best place for Stephan. He initially resisted the family’s pleas to enter recovery, denying he had a substance abuse problem. But eventually, Stephan broke down and entered the Medical Detox Program. Jackie felt relieved.

“I’m happy Stephan is � nally facing his drinking demons,” she says. “And I know he’s in good hands at Riverside Recovery of Tampa.” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Employee photo by

Jordan Pysz. mkb

*Names withheld at their request.

“Concerned individuals should share their concerns about the substance abuser with other friends and family members,” Christian relates. “� ey can then work together to encourage the substance abuser to attend counseling or a therapy session. If the condition is severe, the family members can speak with an interventionist, who can help them take appropriate action.

“An interventionist can tell the family which level of treatment the substance abuser may need, such as detoxi� cation or a residential treatment program, if their substance of choice doesn’t meet the criteria for detox. At Riverside Recovery of Tampa, a comprehensive recovery center, patients with substance abuse can enter detox, residential or day treat-ment, whichever is appropriate for their substance of choice and individual needs.”

Continuum of Care� e recovery process at Riverside Recovery of Tampa is a continuum of care that begins with the Medical Detoxi� cation Program and moves to the Residential Program, Christian describes. From there, clients transition into the Day/Night Program, a day program during which clients return to Riverside Recovery from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A common denominator throughout this continuum of care is the Riverside Recovery of Tampa nursing sta� . During the medical detox phase of treatment, there’s a nurse on site 24/7, as well as nursing support staff, including

stage of recovery. When that occurs, the nurses meet with the clients’ providers, and together, they address the clients’ symptoms.

“� ere’s a nursing group every week as part of the Residential Program,” Christian adds. “During group, we educate clients on anti-craving medications and post-acute withdrawal symptoms. We explain what to look for with post-acute withdrawal and what is normal. We also educate clients about HIV and AIDS, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, from a nursing standpoint.”

A f t e r c l i en t s comple t e the Residential Program, the next level of care in the continuum is the Day/Night Program, formerly known as the Partial Hospitalization Program, or PHP. � e Day/Night Program runs six days a week for eight hours a day at Riverside Recovery of Tampa.

“Clients continue to receive nursing care while they’re in day/night program-ming. They meet with a nurse if they are taking medication and if any new symptoms occur,” Christian explains. “After the Day/Night Program, clients transition into the Intensive Outpatient Program, or IOP, which is three days a week for three hours each session. IOP consists of therapy primarily. Nursing care is not typically needed at this outpatient level, unless there’s an emergency.

“Riverside Recovery’s nurses are integral members of the patient care team throughout their stay in the recovery center.”

Page 10 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Winter 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 11alternative mediCine addiCtiOn treatment

Synchronize speech in both ears with Binaural Spatial Mapping

Dean M. Knoblach, BC-HIS, is a graduate of the National Institute of Hearing Instrument Studies. Dean founded Knoblach Hearing Care in . 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 ,” the Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Award in , and and the Angie’s List

Super Service Award/Best in Hearing Healthcare from -. He is a member of the American Hearing Aid Association and

Florida Society of Hearing Healthcare Professionals, and is a nationally Board Certifi ed in Hearing Instrument Sciences.

Kathleen O. Knoblach, HAS, is a licensed hearing aid specialist with more than years of experience in the hearing health care fi eld. Consistently ranked for years as a top-performing specialist at a very large practice in Orlando, she teamed up with Dean after marry-

ing him in . Together, Dean and Kathleen have dedicated the rest of their careers to serving the hearing impaired through Knoblach Hearing Care.

If you or a loved one is experiencing diffi culty hearing and is 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 () -.

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

Better Hearing For Life

From the latest in hearing aid technology to ear wax removal and in-offi ce repairs, Knoblach Hearing Care can help. Dean Knoblach has specialized in hearing care since . Dean and the staff at Knoblach Hearing Care welcome the opportunity to discuss your hearing needs. For answers to your personal hearing health care questions, please call or visit the offi ce in Largo at:

East Bay Dr., Suite (727) 530-3533

SURGERY

“I’ve had quite a few di� erent hearing aids, and none of them helped me hear better,” Joyce re� ects. “I couldn’t decipher words because I have a reverse-slope hearing loss. It’s not really a normal hearing loss.”

Joyce’s hearing loss was having a huge impact on her personal life. She stopped going to lunch with her friends and stopped shopping on her own. She noticed people would sometimes become irritated because they didn’t realize she couldn’t hear or understand them.

“I became kind of a hermit, and I’m usually very outgoing,” she admits.

Joyce’s problem was affecting her at work as well. She held a manage-ment position and was responsible for many employees, but her hearing loss made it difficult to communi-cate with them.

“The problem was so bad that I had two ear specialists tell me that hearing aids would never work and that I was going to need to put Cochlear™ implants in my ears,” Joyce says of the surgically implanted hearing devices. “But I just wasn’t ready for that. I mean, I still had some hearing. I could still hear a lot of sounds.”

When the surgeons started talking about implants, Joyce turned instead to Dean M. Knoblach, a board-certified Hearing Instrument Specialist and the owner of Knoblach Hearing Care, for help.

“Joyce had experienced dramatic reductions in her low-frequency hearing,” explains Dean. “The speech signals she needed amplified were

For ten years, Joyce Conner su� ered a progressive loss of hearing. She remembers seeing at least ten audiologists; six ear, nose and throat physicians and two ear specialists, all of whom tried but failed to preserve and improve her hearing.

always in the same range as other ambient room sounds, proving quite difficult for most hearing instruments to provide any real speech clarity. She just couldn’t understand speech.

“Joyce tried several sets of hearing instruments from different manufac-turers, all with limited results. But things changed for Joyce when we � t her with a new technology developed by Starkey Labs called Binaural Spatial Mapping.”

Simultaneous Hearing Binaural Spatial Mapping is a wireless feature. It takes in sound – live signals and speech – in the left ear and sends the speech to the right ear. Likewise, speech from the right ear is sent to the left. In this way, no matter where the speech signals are coming from, the patient is hearing them equally clear in both ears.

To keep both ears perfectly synchro-nized, this process is continuously performed over 166,000 times per second. It’s the di� erence between hearing through a telephone handset compared to hearing through a set of stereo headphones. Other sounds such as music and wind noise may be heard on the left side or the right, but speech signals are always heard in both

ears together.Joyce’s problem was that she

needed to have room noises soft. At the same time, she needed speech definition, separation from the ambient room noise, and clarity. Hearing aids featuring Binaural Spatial Mapping provide all of that, so Dean recommended a pair for Joyce, who could not believe the di� erence they made in her hearing.

“She kept saying, Wow, this is incredible. It’s amazing. � is is the best I’ve heard since my hearing loss started,” recalls Dean. “� at was from a woman

who was told she needed surgical implants because hearing aids would never work.”

“� e impact has been enormous, and I’m finding out what I enjoy,” Joyce says. “I went out to eat with a girlfriend of forty years. I also had my

granddaughter come to visit me, and she yelled, Grandma! I said, Sweetie, you don’t need to yell anymore. Grandma can hear you when you talk normally now.

“I just can’t tell you how much joy these hearing aids have brought me. You don’t even realize what you’ve missed until you can’t hear. I’m hearing again. I’m able to communicate, and that’s a blessing right there.”

Determined to Find an Answer Joyce credits Dean Knoblach and his sta� for their perseverance in working with her during this di� cult time.

“He never gave up on me,” she remarks. “He kept persevering, and his whole staff had such a good attitude about it. Having an audiologist who is understanding and keeps trying, persevering with you, means a lot more than words can say.”

Dean says that kind of perseverance is a staple of Knoblach Hearing Care.

“At Knoblach Hearing Care we don’t rest until a patient is � tted, feels comfort-able, hears clearly in both quiet and noisy listening environments and can hear on the phone,’’ he says. “In other words, we don’t quit until they pass the smile test.”

Joyce has been smiling ever since she was � t with her hearing aids.

“I’m very thankful to him. I’m very thankful that he didn’t give up and I didn’t give up,” she re� ects. “I’ve been to over ten di� erent audiologists in the last ten years, and most of them do the normal stu� , but Dean goes the extra mile.

“And thanks to him, I’m spending time with family and friends again, and that’s really important to me.”

� anks to Knoblach Hearing Care, Joyce is back to doing the things she enjoys.FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. mkb

8k

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This is an example of the most common style of hearing loss. It causes people to feel like

others “don’t speak clearly” or “mumble.”

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Hearing Test Audiogram

Frequency (Hz)

Page 12 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2020 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition hearing health Care