Top Doctors 2012
Healthcare is a hot topic everywhere you turn these days. And while we can’t resolve the national debate, there’s no question that our little corner of paradise includes some of the finest physicians the country has to offer. Sarasota’s medical community includes award-winning hospitals, internationally significant medical research and two forward-thinking medical schools producing the next generation of top doctors. Topnotch physicians come here not only because of the quality of life and demographics (older patients with the interest and income to invest in comprehensive healthcare) but because of the quality of the facilities and professionals who will be their peers.
This year, we present 183 local doctors who have earned the admiration of their colleagues and, most importantly, the trust of their patients. National medical research firm Castle Connolly Medical begins with a list of peer-nominated physicians, who are then vetted for their professional accolades as well as the quality and consistency of their care. These are the doctors other doctors look up to, and we’re proud to have them in the community looking after us.
Beyond the list, we also report on new techniques and technology that are saving the lives or improving the treatment of local patients. And this year we asked the doctors themselves to sound off on everything from their proudest medical moments to their personal exercise routines. We also invited them to weigh in on the national debate, asking, “If you were in charge of healthcare reform, what would you do?” (See “Ask the Doctors” throughout this article for their answers.)
Keep in mind, when it comes to the area’s best physicians, this list is just the beginning. Many fine physicians are not included in our list, and the best doctor for you is the one who earns your trust and confidence, who listens to your concerns and diligently works to keep you healthy.
Breakthroughs
More Than Skin Deep
For one psoriasis sufferer, pinpointed injections are a life changer.
“Psoriasis is not just a cosmetic issue,” stresses Sarasota dermatologist Dr. David Sax, who six years ago began treating a 47-year-old man with psoriasis plaque on 70 percent of his body. The man also had a painful, related joint condition called psoriatic arthritis that affects between 15 and 30 percent of psoriasis sufferers. He had been living with the disease for more than a decade.
“There can be correlations between psoriasis and depression and alcoholism,” Sax says. “When I did my residency at University at Michigan, we used to hospitalize people with psoriasis.”
Psoriasis is a personal issue for Sax; his grandmother and mother have also struggled with the disease. “My mother’s psoriatic arthritis is debilitating,” he says. “She’s relatively young—in her mid-60s. It’s been a pretty rapid decline for her. It’s just horrible.”
Sax’s patient had been treated with standard psoriasis drugs—powerful anti-inflammatory medications that weren’t developed for any one disease. They can be effective against psoriasis but are accompanied by serious side effects. One common drug, Methotrexate, can cause liver toxicity, requiring liver tests every six months and, after long-term use, regular liver biopsies. Other psoriasis drugs can be equally toxic to the kidneys. And “those drugs were not helpful for [this patient],” Sax remembers.
Sax eventually turned to a new treatment described as “biologic injections,” which target only the specific inflammation pathways affected by psoriasis—upping their effectiveness while reducing the risk of side effects. The standard drugs “are like a bomb going off,” says Sax. “These injections are little sniper guys.”
The man started weekly injections, and within four months, his psoriasis had all but disappeared, limited to a few patches on his knees and elbows. “His quality of life took a complete turnaround,” says Sax. “I could see the whole change in his perception, the way he carries himself, the big smile on his face. Now when I see him, he always says he’s doing great.”
For psoriasis sufferers, these injections “are the most wonderful thing that’s ever come out,” says Sax.
Ask the Doctors
We polled our top doctors on issues from insurance costs to how they stay healthy. Here’s what they had to say.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Helping/interacting with patients: 78%
What do you enjoy least?
Paperwork: 34%
Government regulations and healthcare bureaucracy: 22%
Insurance companies: 9%
The hours: 5%
What’s your best piece of health/medical advice?
Eat well/exercise: 56%
“Be positive! The benefits to your health and well-being from an optimistic, upbeat attitude cannot be underestimated.” —Dr. James Fiorica
Breakthroughs
Vision for the Future
An FDA-approved drug restores sight lost to macular degeneration.
When the 72-year-old woman came into Dr. John Niffenegger’s office (referred by her general ophthalmologist, who had spotted a hemorrhage in her right eye), the only thing she could read on the standard eye chart was the big letter E at the top. Due to wet age-based macular degeneration (AMD), her central vision had deteriorated badly, threatening her ability to read, drive and perform other normal daily tasks.
Niffenegger, a specialist in macular degeneration, trained at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary in Boston at the same time that early research into preventing abnormal vascular supply or blood vessel growth (the underlying cause of wet AMD) was taking place across town. He knew that monthly injections of the recently FDA-approved medicine Lucentis—which acts to combat abnormal vascular endothelial growth factor, or VGEF—might help his new patient. After performing a scan of the retina, he gave her an injection that same day, using a small needle in the white of the affected eye after first giving her a topical anesthetic.
“There’s very little pain” associated with the injection, says Niffenegger. In fact, there’s probably more anxiety beforehand than there is any problem during the shot itself.
What Niffenegger couldn’t know with certainty was just how much the patient’s eyesight would rebound after receiving five or six monthly injections. Luckily, in this case within just a month she had improved enough to read the middle of that eye chart with ease, eventually achieving 20/30 vision in her right eye. While that’s not perfect vision, it’s good enough for her to get back to reading and driving, maintaining her independence.
“She’s very happy that her vision has improved so much,” says Niffenegger, “but she wants to get even better.” And she can, as the course of injections may be given for up to 12 months.
Looking to the future, Niffenegger is excited about a new medicine that’s been in clinical trials called EYLEA. It’s a different molecule that’s synthesized to fight the same VGEF, but because it actually binds the blood vessels even more tightly together, the potential exists for longer intervals without injections. “That would help to decrease the burden on the patient,” Niffenegger says.
America’s Top Doctors®
Retail price $34.95.
Available online at castleconnolly.com, via toll-free 1-800-399-DOCS (3627) and at all major national bookstores and online bookstores.
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a healthcare research and information company founded in 1991 by a former medical college board chairman and president to help guide consumers to America’s top doctors and top hospitals. Castle Connolly’s established survey and research process, under the direction of an M.D., involves tens of thousands of top doctors and the medical leadership of leading hospitals.
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., expanded its nominations process in late June 2011, and now invites ALL licensed physicians to participate in the nomination process to help Castle Connolly to identify regionally and nationally outstanding top doctors. The nominations process can be accessed, online only, at castleconnolly.com/nominations. The company’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process of nominated physicians to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Careful screening of doctors’ educational and professional experience is essential before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers.
The result—we identify the top doctors in America—and provide you, the consumer, with detailed information about their education, training and special expertise in our paperback guides, national and regional magazine “Top Doctors” features and online directories.
Physicians selected for inclusion in this magazine’s “Top Doctors” feature may also appear as Regional Top Doctors online at castleconnolly.com, or in one of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors guides, such as America’s Top Doctors® or America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer.
Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors.
The List
Allergy & Immunology:
Eva A. Berkes
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Hawthorne Clinic and Research Center
2088 Hawthorne St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 953-5050
Allergic Rhinitis, Hereditary Angioedema, Food Allergy
John P. Cella
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
5701 21st Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-4151
Internal Medicine, Allergy and Asthma, Insect Allergies, Sinus Disorders
Roger N. Danziger
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
5404 Cortez Road W.
Bradenton, FL 34210
(941) 761-1911
Donna M. Jamieson
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
2650 Bahia Vista St., Suite 304
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-9711
Allergy and Asthma
Rajivi P. Rucker
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Suncoast Allergy and Asthma Center
6124 53rd Ave. E.
Bradenton, FL 34203
(941) 758-0588
Allergy, Immunology, Insect Allergies
Hugh H. Windom
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
4040 Sawyer Road
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 927-4888
Cardiac Electrophysiology:
Walter R. Hepp
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1950 Arlington St., Suite 400
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-4250
Arrhythmias
Jeffrey M. Rothfeld
Blake Medical Center
Bradenton Cardiology Center
316 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-2277
Cardiovascular Disease:
George T. Abernathy
Venice Regional Medical Center
1370 E. Venice Ave., Suite 102
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 412-0026
Echocardiography, Nuclear Stress Testing
Edmund A. Bermudez
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 401
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-0060
Interventional Cardiology, Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease
James J. Fox
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 401
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-0060
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterization
Alberto E. Montalvo
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Bradenton Cardiology Center
316 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-2277
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angioplasty/Stents
Daniel S. Pacifico
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Venice Regional Medical Center
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 401
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-0060
Interventional Cardiology
Eugene M. Parent
Blake Medical Center
316 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-2277
Echocardiography
Kenneth W. Pfahler
Englewood Community Hospital
Cardiology Center of Englewood
601 Medical Drive
Englewood, FL 34223
(941) 475-5621
David M. Yamada
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1950 Arlington St., Suite 400
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-4250
Angiography-Coronary, Non-Invasive Cardiology
Colon & Rectal Surgery:
Richard W. Golub
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Surgical Specialists
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 206
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 341-0042
Colon and Rectal Cancer, Laparoscopic Surgery, Hemorrhoids
Dermatology:
Beatrice J. Berkes
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Bay Area Skin Cancer Surgery and Dermatology
701 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 105
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-4747
Mohs’ Surgery
Elizabeth F. Callahan
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
5911 N. Honore Ave., Suite 210
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 308-7546
Mohs’ Surgery, Skin Laser Surgery, Botox Therapy
Alfred D. Hernandez
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1849 S. Osprey Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 957-4767
Dermatologic Surgery, Mohs’ Surgery, Skin Cancer
Cathy P. Milam
7400 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 364-8220
Skin Cancer, Acne, Eczema
David S. Sax
Manatee Memorial Hospital
University Park Dermatology
8451 Shade Ave., Suite 205
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 360-2477
Psoriasis, Acne, Eczema, Mohs’ Surgery
Susan H. Weinkle
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
5601 21st Ave. W., Suite B
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 794-5432
Skin Cancer, Mohs’ Surgery, Cosmetic Dermatology
Joseph J. Yohn
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
IMG Dermatology
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 106
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 379-1799
Skin Cancer, Acne, Psoriasis, Hair and Nail Disorders
Diagnostic Radiology:
Charles J. Davenport
Venice Regional Medical Center
Radiology Associates of Venice and Englewood
512-516 Nokomis Ave. S.
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-7781
Elizabeth A. Dienes
Venice Regional Medical Center
Radiology Associates of Venice and Englewood
512-516 Nokomis Ave. S.
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-7781
Richard M. Goldberg
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1250 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 103
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 951-2100
Kevin S. Schroeder
Blake Medical Center
804 40th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-5464
PET Imaging, Neurologic Imaging, Cancer Imaging
Marcel F. Srur
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
SMH Radiology Associates
1700 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-1668
Interventional Radiology, Cardiac Imaging
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism:
Motaz Agabani
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Endocrine Medical Center
2650 Bahia Vista St., Suite 104
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 330-8355
Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Thyroid Disorders
Jose R. Antunes
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
2400 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 365-0333
Diabetes, Cholesterol/Lipid Disorders, Thyroid Disorders
Mark A. Lupo
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
The Thyroid and Endocrine Center of Florida
3050 Bee Ridge Road
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 342-9750
Parathyroid Disorders, Thyroid Disorders
Jesus B. Perez
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
IMG Endocrinology
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 104
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 379-1777
Thyroid Disorders, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Obesity
Family Medicine:
Laura L. Hershorin
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Lakewood Ranch Premier Care
8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 350
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
(941) 907-0588
Harold L. Johnson
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
IMG - Palmer Ranch
8592 Potter Park Drive, Suite 100
Sarasota, FL 34238
(941) 921-6618
Joseph J. Larkin Jr.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
IMG - Palmer Ranch
8592 Potter Park Drive, Suite 100
Sarasota, FL 34238
(941) 921-6618
Preventive Medicine
Kevin J. Miller
Venice Regional Medical Center
Paradise Family Healthcare, Inc.
1101 Tamiami Trail, Suite 108
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-2332
Barry I. Stein
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
6128 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 923-5882
Krista A. Toomre
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Intercoastal Medical Group
943 S. Beneva Road, Suite 204
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 953-5213
Luis A. Urrutia
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Family Medicine and Pediatrics
1720 Manatee Ave. E.
Bradenton, FL 34208
(941) 747-4661
Gastroenterology:
Norman M. Aprill
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
2750 Bahia Vista St., Suite 250
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-7282
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Cynthia L. Collawn
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1219 East Ave. S., Suite 101
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 954-4373
Barrett’s Esophagus, Celiac Disease, Liver Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
F. Scott Corbett
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Gastroenterology Associates of Sarasota
2089 Hawthorne St., Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-6556
Endoscopy, Pancreatic/Biliary Endo-scopy(ERCP), Barrett’s Esophagus
Robert H. Felman
Venice Regional Medical Center
Creekside Gastroenterology
1041 Ridgewood Ave.
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 484-3557
Isaac Kalvaria
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1801 Arlington St., Suite 101
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 894-3490
Endoscopy
Douglas A. Kuperman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Gastroenterology Associates of Sarasota
2089 Hawthorne St., Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-6556
Barrett’s Esophagus, Liver Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Endoscopy
Elliot M. Livstone
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
1515 S. Osprey Ave., Suite C-11
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 955-0000
Esophageal Disorders, Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal Cancer, Barrett’s Esophagus
John C. Southerland
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Digestive Health Specialists
1801 Arlington St., Suite 101
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 894-3490
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
Bruce W. Trotman
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
5715 21st Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 761-1800
Biliary Disease, Hepatitis B and C, Colon and Rectal Cancer
Geriatric Medicine:
Deven M. Dave
Venice Regional Medical Center
1720 E. Venice Ave.
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 483-9700
Gynecologic Oncology:
James V. Fiorica
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1888 Hillview St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8383
Endometriosis, Breast Cancer, Uterine Cancer
Hand Surgery:
John D. Hand
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1950 Arlington St., Suite 111
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 921-2600
David M. Klein
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Kennedy-White Orthopaedic Center
6050 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 365-0655
Rotator Cuff Surgery, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, Wrist/Hand Injuries
Infectious Disease:
James D. DeMaio
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
6010 Pointe W. Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 746-2711
Tropical Diseases
Eliot W. Godofsky
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
6010 Pointe W. Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 746-2711
Hepatitis C, Clinical Trials, Viral Hepatitis, HIV
James E. Knapp
Venice Regional Medical Center
Englewood Community Hospital
406 N. Indiana Ave., Suite 9
Englewood, FL 34223
(941) 475-3980
Tanya S. Schreibman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1231 N. Tuttle Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 366-0134
HIV
Internal Medicine:
David B. Bittleman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 210
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 371-3337
Carlos F. Caballero
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1801 Arlington St., Suite 2
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8365
Concierge Medicine
David C. Daiello
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
2881 Hyde Park St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-2460
Geriatric Medicine
Scott B. Elsbree
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
5831 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 210
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 379-8481
Charles R. Hollen
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
3333 Cattleman Road, Suite 208
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 379-5121
Constance B. Purser
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
8936 77th Terrace E., Suite 102
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
(941) 361-1177
Diabetes, Hypertension, Headache, Geriatric Medicine
Robert S. Schulman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
5831 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 210
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 379-8481
Interventional Cardiology:
Stephen C. Culp
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Culp Cardiology
3830 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 201
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 929-7272
Christopher J. Davis
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Bradenton Heart Center
2010 59th St. W., Suite 4200
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 794-3999
Arrhythmias, Coronary Artery Disease
Hugh P. Liebert
Blake Medical Center
1400 59th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 795-2468
Cardiac Catheterization, Angioplasty and Stent Placement
David Schreibman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1950 Arlington St., Suite 400
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-4250
Niranjan Seshadri
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Heart Care Consultants
6310 Health Parkway, Suite 120
Bradenton, FL 34202
(941) 907-8951
Pacemaker, Coronary Angioplasty/Stents, Echocardiography
Medical Oncology:
Brian T. Berry
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Florida Cancer Specialists
2401 60th St. Court W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-1881
Skin Cancer, Gynecologic Cancer
Richard H. Brown
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Florida Cancer Specialists
1970 Golf St.
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 957-1000
Robin Lifton
Venice Regional Medical Center
Florida Cancer Specialists
901 S. Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 484-3531
Steven W. Mamus
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Cancer Center of Sarasota and Manatee
3830 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 923-1872
James R. Rubinsak
Venice Regional Medical Center
836 Sunset Lake Blvd., Suite 101
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 408-0500
Caryn L. Silver
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Florida Cancer Specialists
1970 Golf St.
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 957-1000
Breast Cancer
Robert C. Whorf
Blake Medical Center
Florida Cancer Specialists
2401 60th St. Court W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-1881
Nephrology:
Ranjan P. Ghose
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 413
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-6585
Hypertension
Andrew L. Lazin
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 306
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8722
Hypertension
Lazo Pipovski
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 306
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8722
Hypertension
Neurological Surgery:
John R. Cassidy
Venice Regional Medical Center
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
842 Sunset Lake Blvd., Suite 302
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 484-3404
Brain Surgery, Spinal Surgery
Christopher Guerin
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Venice Regional Medical Center
842 Sunset Lake Blvd., Suite 302
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 484-3404
Brain Tumors
James M. Schumacher
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 809
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 955-1960
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Movement Disorders
Neurology:
Julio C. Cantero
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Intercoastal Medical Group
943 S. Beneva Road, Suite 102
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 906-7155
Epilepsy, Sleep Medicine
Mauricio Concha
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Intercoastal Medical Group
943 S. Beneva Road, Suite 102
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 906-7155
Stroke/Cerebrovascular Disease
Bridget J. Keller
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
5741 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 560
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 379-8830
Allen M. Lifton
Venice Regional Medical Center
250 Tamiami Trail S., Suite 201
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 485-2220
Donald Negroski
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 701
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 487-2160
Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Migraine
Daniel P. Stein
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
5602 Marquesas Circle, Suite 108
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 400-1211
Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis
Neuroradiology:
Philip Blaustein
Blake Medical Center
804 40th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-5464
PET Imaging, Alzheimer’s Disease
Obstetrics & Gynecology:
Gina Arabitg
Venice Regional Medical Center
Gynecology of Venice
241 Nokomis Ave. S., Suite A
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 485-9941
Gynecology Only
Gary W. Easterling
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
5741 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 390
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 379-6331
Robotic Surgery
Michael S. Finazzo
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St, Suite 307
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8565
A. Jothivijayarani
Blake Medical Center
3501 Cortez Rd. W.
Bradenton, FL 34210
(941) 752-2828
Gynecology Only
Karen F. Liebert
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Gynecology, Blake Park
1850 59th St. W., Suite B
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-4993
Gynecology Only
G. Michael Swor
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1617 S. Tuttle Ave., Suite 1A
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 330-8885
Gynecology Only, Robotic Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, Urogynecology
Jon Yenari
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Intercoastal Medical Group
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 379-1700
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery
Ophthalmology:
Jonathan A. Adler
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
1509 53rd Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34207
(941) 753-0220
Cataract Surgery, LASIK-Refractive Surgery
Liaquat Allarakhia
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
Bradenton Eye Clinic
4812 26th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34207
(941) 727-3937
Cataract Surgery-Lens Implant, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Dry Eye Syndrome
Melvin C. Chen
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
3400 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 921-5335
Retinal Disorders, Retinal/Vitreous Surgery, Macular Disease/Degeneration, Strabismus
John P. Fezza
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
2601 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 925-2020
Oculoplastic Surgery, Orbital Reconstruction
Harry Grabow
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Cataract and Laser Institute
3920 Bee Ridge Road, Building F, Suite A
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 921-7744
Cataract Surgery, Refractive Surgery, Clinical Trials
John H. Niffenegger
Venice Regional Medical Center
Retina Associates of Sarasota
3920 Bee Ridge Road, Building D
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 924-0303
Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Eye Disease/Retinopathy, Retinal Detachment, Clinical Trials
Thomas L. Schwartz
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1219 E. Avenue S., Suite 105
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 957-4216
Cataract Surgery, Cornea and External Eye Disease
David W. Shoemaker
Venice Regional Medical Center
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Center for Sight
2601 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 488-2020
Cataract Surgery-Lens Implant
Harris Silverman
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial
6002 Pointe W. Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-2020
Cataract Surgery/Lens Implant
Orthopaedic Surgery:
Adam S. Bright
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1950 Arlington St., Suite 111
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 921-2600
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Hip and Knee Replacement, Rotator Cuff Surgery, Sports Medicine
William L. Mehserle
Venice Regional Medical Center
1525 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 602
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 497-2663
Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement, Sports Medicine
Joseph Noah
Englewood Community Hospital
Venice Regional Medical Center
Suncoast Orthopaedic Surgery
836 Sunset Lake Blvd., Suite 205
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 485-1505
Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement, Knee Replacement, Knee Injuries/ACL
Ashvin I. Patel
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Kennedy-White Orthopaedic Center
6050 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 365-0655
Spinal Surgery
Gary S. Shapiro
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Kennedy-White Orthopaedic Center
6050 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 365-0655
Knee Cartilage/Meniscus Transplants, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Knee Replacements, Sports Medicine
Arthur L. Valadie
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Coastal Orthopedics and Sports
Medicine
6015 Pointe W. Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-1404
Sports Medicine, Arthroscopic Surgery, Knee Reconstruction
Andrew M. Wolff
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 610
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-6700
Arthritis, Knee Surgery, Joint Replacement
Otolaryngology:
Sumeet Bhanot
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1901 Floyd St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-9222
Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery-Face
Matthew D. Byers
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Intercoastal Medical Group
3333 Cattleman Road, Suite 204
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 379-1800
Trauma-Face, Nasal and Sinus Disorders, Nasal Surgery, Sleep Disorders/Apnea
Daniel A. Deems
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
University ENT Associates
8451 Shade Ave., Suite 107
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 355-2767
Balance Disorders, Ear Infections, Meniere’s Disease, Thyroid Surgery
Michael J. Gurucharri
Manatee Memorial Hospital
701 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 202
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-2455
Head and Neck Cancer, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Laser Surgery, Allergy
Robert P. Hillstrom
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Blake Medical Center
5911 N. Honore Ave., Suite 120
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 355-3223
Practice dedicated to facial plastic sugery
Michael L. Patete
Venice Regional Medical Center
213 Palermo Place
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 485-7783
Jack J. Wazen
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Silverstein Institute
1901 Floyd St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-9222
Skull Base Surgery, Meniere’s Disease, Acoustic Neuroma, Hearing and Balance Disorders
Pain Medicine:
Myrdalis Díaz-Ramírez
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Comprehensive Pain Center of Sarasota
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 607
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 363-9400
Pain-Cancer, Pain-Neuropathic, Spinal Cord Stimulation
Kenneth A. Giraldo
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Suncoast Pain Management Center
5831 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 100
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 343-1040
Spinal Disorders
Pediatrics:
Johnny D. Alvarez
Manatee Memorial Hospital
3908 Ninth Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 747-3116
Immunizations
Patricia J. Blanco
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
8460 Cooper Creek Blvd., Suite 101
University Park, FL 34201
(941) 360-1266
Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN), Neonatal Addiction
Constance M. Charles-Logan
Manatee Memorial Hospital
West Coast Pediatrics
1414 59th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 761-0663
Helene R. Hubbard
Manatee Memorial Hospital
408 Manatee Ave. E., Suite 1
Bradenton, FL 34208
(941) 922-5366
Developmental and Behavioral Disorders, Developmental Delay, Learning Disorders, Autism
Enas Sallam
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
First Physicians Group
5350 University Parkway, Suite 101
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 917-4675
John W. Wassenaar
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
929 S Tamiami Trial, Suite 101
Osprey, FL 34229
(941) 917-4700
Robert A. Weiss
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Pediatric Associates
1215 E. Ave S., Suite 303
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-3000
Adolescent Medicine
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation:
Erik S. Herman
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Kennedy-White Orthopaedic Center
6050 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 365-0655
Pain-Back and Neck, Electromyography
Marc Kallins
Blake Medical Center
4110 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 748-8383
David A. Siegel
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Comprehensive Rehab, 10 East Tower
1700 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-7622
Steven M. Tucci
American Injury Center
7147 Curtiss Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 921-5809
Plastic Surgery:
Christopher D. Adamson
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
5741 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 510
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 343-9900
Breast Augmentation, Liposuction and Body Contouring, Cosmetic Surgery-Face
Marguerite P. Barnett
Venice Regional Medical Center
1715 Stickney Point Road
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 927-2447
Cosmetic Surgery-Face, Liposuction and Body Contouring, Cosmetic Surgery-Breast, Breast Reconstruction
David L. Mobley
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
2255 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-8897
Cosmetic Surgery-Face, Cosmetic Surgery-Breast, Liposuction and Body Contouring, Laser Surgery
Raja Nalluri
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
2100 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 752-7842
Cosmetic Surgery, Facial Rejuvenation
Charles L. Rodriguez
Venice Regional Medical Center
Renaissance Plastic Surgery
329 Nokomis Ave. S.
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-7727
Breast Augmentation, Cosmetic Surgery-Breast, Liposuction and Body Contouring, Cosmetic Surgery-Face
James H. Schmidt
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
2255 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-8897
Facial Rejuvenation, Cosmetic Surgery-Breast, Liposuction and Body Contouring
John L. Strausser
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
1900 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 955-9096
Cosmetic Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Cancer Surgery
Psychiatry:
Matthew J. Edlund
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1241 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-4308
Sleep Disorders
Pulmonary Disease:
Glenn D. Adams
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
1625 S. Osprey Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8772
Sleep Disorders/Apnea, Restless Legs Syndrome, Narcolepsy
Donald N. Arents
Venice Regional Medical Center
Pulmonary Medicine of Venice
219 Palermo Place
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 484-5864
Sleep Medicine, Emphysema and Asthma
David K. Denholm
Venice Regional Medical Center
Gulf Coast Pulmonology Associates
209 Palermo Place
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-1906
Sleep Medicine, Lung Cancer, Critical Care
Ziad W. Ghamra
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldermere St, Suite 705
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-5864
Lung Disease
Kenneth M. Hurwitz
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Lung Associates of Sarasota
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 705
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 366-5864
Critical Care
Janine M. Mylett
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
The Lung Center
2210 61st St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-0611
Sleep Disorders/Apnea
Michael Seeman
Manatee Memorial Hospital
2210 61st St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-0611
Lung Disease
Floyd W. Wells
Manatee Memorial Hospital
2210 61st St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-0611
Asthma, Lung Cancer, Emphysema
Radiation Oncology:
Mary Koshy
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Manatee Cancer Center
401 Manatee Ave. E., Suite A
Bradenton, FL 34208
(941) 748-4324
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Stephen J. Patrice
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
3210 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 364-8887
Lung Cancer, Brain Tumors, Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Larry N. Silverman
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
21st Century Oncology
3210 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 308-1050
John E. Sylvester
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
8946 77th Terrace E.
Bradenton, FL 34202
(941) 907-9053
Prostate Cancer
Gray B. Swor
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
21st Century Oncology
3210 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 364-8887
Breast Cancer
Rheumatology:
Yoel Drucker
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Arthritis Center
3500 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-0770
Lupus/SLE
David I. Greenfield
Venice Regional Medical Center
1525 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 601
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 497-4069
Jeffrey L. Kaine
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Arthritis Center
3500 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-0770
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus Nephritis, Lupus/SLE, Clinical Trials
Daniel A. Small
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Arthritis Center
3500 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 365-0770
Arthritis
Sports Medicine:
Steven J. Schafer
Blake Medical Center
Coastal Orthopedics
6015 Pointe W. Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-1404
Sports Medicine, Arthroscopic Surgery, Knee Injuries/ACL/Meniscus Tears
Surgery:
Steven L. Halbreich
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldmere St., Suite 504
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 957-1700
Brian J. Kimbrell
Blake Medical Center
2020 59th St. W.
Trauma Services
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 794-5621
Trauma
David A. Napoliello
Venice Regional Medical Center
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 101
Bradenton, FL 34202
(941) 388-9525
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery
Scott B. Stevens
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
3333 Cattlemen Road, Suite 206
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 341-0042
Laparoscopic Surgery, Obesity/Bariatric Surgery
Nanette K. Wendel
Blake Medical Center
Bradenton Surgical Associates
5601 21st Ave. W., Suite D
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 748-1471
Laparoscopic Surgery
Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery:
Jonathan C. Fong
Venice Regional Medical Center
Venice Ocala Heart Institute
706 The Rialto
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 484-8004
Carotid Artery Surgery, Lung Surgery
Alessandro Golino
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Cardiac Surgery
623 39th St. W., Suite 2
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 744-2640
Mitral Valve Surgery, Carotid Artery Surgery
W. Peter Graper
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 371-9710
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Richard J. Peterson
Blake Medical Center
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Manatee Cardiac Surgery
623 39th St. W., Suite 2
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 744-2640
Heart Valve Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Atrial Fibrillation, Carotid Artery Surgery
Atiq Rehman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 303
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8791
Robotic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery, Heart Valve Surgery, Coronary Artery Surgery
Urology:
A. Joseph Bilik
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Florida Urology Specialists
1 S. School Ave., Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 309-7000
Robotic Surgery
Kenneth J. Bregg
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 310
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8488
Voiding Dysfunction, Incontinence, Urologic Cancer
Robert I. Carey
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Urology Treatment Center
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 310
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8488
Robotic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Prostate Cancer, Kidney Cancer
Edward Herrman
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
200 Third Ave. W., Suite 210
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 792-0340
Kidney Stones, Incontinence, Erectile Dysfunction, Minimally Invasive Surgery
Gregory M. Lomas
Venice Regional Medical Center
RTR Urology
842 Sunset Lake Blvd., Suite 403
Venice, FL 34292
(941) 485-3351
Prostate Disease, Vasectomy and Vasectomy Reversal, Kidney Stones
Alan K. Miller
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Blake Medical Center
200 Third Ave. W., Suite 210
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 792-0340
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Urologic Cancer, Incontinence, Prostate Disease
G. Bino Rucker
Manatee Memorial Hospital
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
7652 Lockwood Ridge Road
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 448-1199
Laparoscopic Surgery, Vasectomy Reversal, Urologic Cancer, Voiding Dysfunction
Alan R. Treiman
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1921 Waldemere St., Suite 310
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-8488
Prostate Cancer, Erectile Dysfunction, Bladder Cancer, Kidney Stones
Vascular & Interventional Radiology:
Osarugue A. Aideyan
Blake Medical Center
804 40th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-5464
Stephanie K. Hiskes
Blake Medical Center
804 40th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-5464
Clarence R. Reilly
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
SMH Department of Radiology
1700 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 917-1668
Sergio L. Selva
Venice Regional Medical Center
Radiology Associates of Venice and Englewood
512-516 Nokomis Ave. S.
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 488-7781
Vascular Surgery:
Michael R. Lepore
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
600 N. Cattlemen Road, Suite 220
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 371-6565
Endovascular Surgery, Aneurysm-Aortic, Minimally Invasive Vascular Surgery, Angioplasty and Stent Placement
Russell H. Samson
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
600 N. Cattlemen Road, Suite 220
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 371-6565
Peripheral Vascular Disease, Vein Disorders
The Next Generation
Two medical schools in our region are training future doctors.
We all know Sarasota is popular with doctors. But did you know that two medical schools with nearly 700 medical students are also in our midst?
The majority—632 of them—attend LECOM, or Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has had a campus in Bradenton since 2004. LECOM trains students in osteopathic medicine, which focuses on the well-being of the whole patient and emphasizes health education along with injury and disease prevention. Osteopathic physicians can practice any type of medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe medications, but have additional training in osteopathic manipulative medicine. LECOM students are trained to be primary care physicians in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. The students here do clinical rotations at area hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices.
Kelly Rosborough, a 27-year-old LECOM medical student from Columbus, Ohio, says she chose to attend LECOM Bradenton in part for its “problem-based learning” curriculum, where small groups of students practice solving actual patient cases.
“PBL taught me how to seek the answers to medical problems, a skill that I will utilize daily when treating patients in the future,” says Rosborough.
One of only 26 colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States, LECOM was established in 1992 at Millcreek Community Hospital in Erie, Penn., to alleviate its region’s physician shortage. LECOM later built a campus in Bradenton in response to Florida’s shortage of physicians. It’s now grown to be the largest medical school in the country, with more than 2,000 medical students between two campuses in Pennsylvania and one in Bradenton.
In addition to the College of Medicine, LECOM Bradenton also boasts a School of Pharmacy and a new School of Dental Medicine. Thus far, 591 students have graduated from LECOM Bradenton with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, and 77 have graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
The Tallahassee-based FSU College of Medicine has welcomed up to 40 third- and fourth-year medical students to its regional Sarasota campus each year since 2005. During their time in Sarasota, FSU med students do rotations in a variety of specialties in the context of a unique mentorship program: while most medical schools are tied to hospitals, where students are trained by interns, residents and fellows, FSU pairs each medical student with a carefully chosen physician.
“I got to see a lot of patients and do a lot of procedures, and got comfortable spending time with patients,” says Brian Cogburn, a 27-year-old student at the FSU College of Medicine, of his time in Sarasota.
Dr. Bruce Berg, dean of the Sarasota campus, hopes that students will realize that Sarasota is an excellent place to live and will return here to practice medicine after their residencies. Out of 91 graduates, three former students have returned to the area to practice, but Berg hopes to see even more come back in the future.—Sarah Gassel
Ask the Doctors
What has been your proudest medical achievement?
“The most recent was helping a 13-year-old girl see after a gunshot blasted glass through her eye. It was a complicated surgery, but she will have her whole life ahead of her with both eyes intact.” —Dr. Jonathan Adler
Breakthroughs
Back to Basics
Using an old tool in a new way eases an elderly woman’s back pain.
Three years ago, a tearful woman in her late 80s came to pain specialist Dr. Myrdalis Díaz-Ramírez. She’d been suffering from back pain for nearly a decade and was taking handfuls of over-the-counter pain medication every day. Díaz-Ramírez, who practices at the Comprehensive Pain Center of Sarasota, diagnosed arthritis, spinal stenosis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Worst of all, every time the woman tried to lessen the pain by limping or sitting to one side, she further injured her joints, making the pain worse and worse.
The treatment—steroid injections that would reduce inflammation so she could go to physical therapy—required a large X-ray machine, available only at surgical centers, to make sure the injections hit their mark. Protocol required her to be given IVs in addition to a number of time-consuming pre- and post-op procedures. The process took hours. By her 90th birthday, the woman had regained some mobility, but the treatment process was a painful burden.
Then, last year, Díaz-Ramírez turned to an old technology with a brand-new application: ultrasound. For a fraction of the cost of large, simultaneous X-ray imaging, a standard ultrasound machine could ensure precise injections in the comfort of Díaz-Ramírez’s own office. “We’re able to see where the medication is going,” she says. (Injections into knees and shoulders previously had a 30 percent failure rate, but the ultrasound has “significantly lessened” that percentage, says Díaz-Ramírez.) The technique is so new that Comprehensive Pain Center of Sarasota is the only pain practice with an ultrasound between Tampa and Port Charlotte.
The woman’s next steroid treatment took only a matter of moments. When it was done, she looked at Díaz-Ramírez, smiled and said, “Is that it?”
No longer hampered by scheduling logistics and painful side effects, the patient has kept up with her rehabilitative exercises, including daily walks. “She likes to go out with her daughter,” says Díaz-Ramírez. “Now she feels much better.” She takes no pain medication, and now that her back is stronger, she won’t need another steroid injection for at least a year. On that visit, she’ll be 92.
Ask the Doctors
If you weren’t a doctor, what would you be?
“An oil painter.” —Dr. Gina Arabitg
“A teacher, which I try to be as a doctor.”—Dr. Michael Swor
“Chef.” —Dr. Kenneth Bregg
“Pilot.” —Dr. Alan Treiman
“Fishing guide.” —Dr. Charles Hollen
“Not sure. I always wanted to be a doctor.”—Dr. Niranjan Seshadri
Breakthroughs
Return from the Dead
An implanted defibrillator sparks a heart back to life.
The cardiac patient was a high-profile Sarasotan who’d received an implantable defibrillator on the advice of his cardiac electrophysiologist, Dr. Walter Hepp. Two years later, the man was playing tennis and sat down on a bench to rest between sets. “His tennis partners reported that he fell asleep and woke up,” Hepp says. “But tests showed that he’d had a fatal cardiac arrest—he literally had died. The defibrillator shocked him out of a death rhythm and saved his life.”
A pioneer in treating arrhythmias, or abnormal beating of the heart, Hepp was Sarasota’s first board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist when he moved here in 1990 after completing his fellowship at the Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He started Sarasota Memorial’s first EP lab for arrhythmia management (“in a converted closet, with a paucity of equipment,” he remembers). “Doctors started sending me cases from all over Southwest Florida, broken patients who were dying, and we fixed them,” Hepp says. Now, Sarasota Memorial’s cath lab has a state-of-the-art home, and a half-dozen cardiac electrophysiologists work out of it.
Before the advent of radio-frequency ablation (the catheter-based procedure that measures the heart’s electrical activity, tracks the cause of arrhythmia, and treats it), patients who had arrhythmia problems had to have their chests cracked open to cure their electrical circuits. “With ablation,” says Hepp, “they’re in and out in a day, and at most have to stay overnight.”
The field is constantly advancing, Hepp says. “The mapping systems we use to get inside the heart have gotten much more accurate and user-friendly. Five years ago, we had to rely on X-rays. Now we have a GPS system underneath the table the patient lies on that creates a 3-D map. The result is more accuracy. It shortens the length of the procedure at least by half, and cuts down the radiation exposure. And we get better outcomes.”
Doctors can even pinpoint the spot of a heart attack. “For patients with dangerous arrhythmias that come from scar tissues, we can burn around the edges of the scar and destroy the dangerous rhythms,” Hepp says.
Ask the Doctors
How do you give back?
“Countless hours in a free medical clinic in Miami as the only French-speaking doctor for Creole-speaking Haitian patients. As always, I receive more than I give.” —Dr. Robert Carey
91% are involved in charitable work, from performing pro bono medical services to mentoring high schoolers.
If you were in charge of healthcare reform, what would you do?
“Get rid of the insurance companies.” —Dr. Daniel Deems
What is the hardest skill to master?
Listening/Communication: 25%
Giving patients bad news: 16%
Time management: 9%
What’s the most exciting thing happening in your field?
Robotic/minimally invasive surgery: 25%
This article appears in the June 2012 issue of Sarasota Magazine.
Did you like what you read here? Subscribe to Sarasota Magazine »