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Indian River County Edition

FEATURED ARTICLES

Winter 2019

WILLIAM J. MALLON, MDADAM M. KATZ, MD

J. MICHAEL SCHNELL, MDSARAH S. KHODADADEH, MDEDWARD S. BRANIGAN III, MDALEXANDER BLANDFORD, MD

Even in “retirement,” Virginia Paddock continues to work, especially during tax season. Once the o� ce manager of a

major carpet-cleaning franchise in Fair� eld County, Connecticut, Virginia now helps prepare tax returns for AARP® members.

� e latter is something the 81-year-old picked up more or less as a hobby after she and her husband gave up their jobs in the Northeast and moved to Florida nearly 30 years ago in an e� ort to get the most out their retirement years.

“We wanted to retire while we were still young enough to enjoy ourselves, and we certainly have!” Virginia exclaims. “I still do the tax work because it keeps me busy and because I’ve always been some-thing of a numbers person.”

Virginia’s ability to not only prepare taxes but to enjoy her retirement years the way she hoped she would became greatly compromised a few years ago when a painful issue developed with the eyelashes on her left lower eyelid.

“All of a sudden, the eyelashes on my left lower eyelid started turning backwards and into my eye,” Virginia confirms. “� ey were growing in such a way that they were literally scratching my eyeball. It was very painful.”

Virginia initially tried correcting the problem by simply plucking the trouble-some eyelashes. When they continued to grow back the same way, she began visiting area ophthalmologists and optom-etrists who did the plucking for her.

“It got so bad this past summer that there was one month where I had to go four times to get these things pulled out,” Virginia reveals. “It was really annoying. Finally, a couple months ago, I told my optometrist, I’d really like to take care of this for good.

“It was during that visit that he said, You know, I met somebody last night who is an ophthalmologist and a plastic surgeon. And then he said that this ophthalmologist previously worked at the Cleveland Clinic and that he was working here now. (see Eye-Opening Experience, page 4)

“Well, as soon as he said that he had previously worked at the Cleveland Clinic, I thought, Oh, whoopee! So, I got his name, looked him up and made an appointment to see if he could identify the cause of my eyelid problem.”

� e physician Virginia’s optometrist met and later recommended is Alexander D. Blandford, MD. He is a board-certi� ed ophthalmologist who completed an additional two-year accredited fellowship in oculofacial plastic surgery at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute and specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery around the eyes and face.

In addition to performing upper eyelid (eyelid lift) and lower eyelid (lower bag removal) surgery, brow lifts, and nonsurgical skin treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal � llers, Dr. Blandford also specializes in skin cancer removal/reconstruction, orbital surgery, and tear drainage system surgery.

Critical Discovery “Mrs. Paddock came to me for a sec-ond opinion regarding her lower eyelid and irritating eyelashes,” Dr. Blandford reports. “She was tired of having her eye-lashes plucked over the last several years and was curious why she was su� ering

Virginia Paddock

Eye-Opening Experience

Expert analysis reveals deep-seated

condition

from this problem. Upon examination, I noticed a subtle lesion that looked suspi-cious for a skin cancer in the area of the misdirected lashes.

“Misdirected eyelashes can be some-thing that you are born with or develop later in life. When they develop later in life it can be related to the eyelid itself turning in, an in� ammatory process caus-ing the lashes to point toward the eye, or less commonly the result of skin cancer.

“When there is a notch in the eyelid margin, loss of lashes in a certain area, or a growth in the area it is important to consider skin cancer as a possible cause. Mrs. Paddock’s exam revealed these sub-tle � ndings that were concerning for a skin cancer, so after a thorough discus-sion we elected to biopsy the eyelid in clinic. As suspected, the biopsy came back positive for a skin cancer, speci� -cally a basal cell carcinoma.”

In the aftermath of Dr. Blandford’s discovery, Virginia made an appointment to have the cancer surgically removed. � at surgery, which was performed by Dr. Blandford two weeks after Virginia’s initial visit, revealed that the skin cancer was quite extensive.

Regenerative Biologics Institute

5Who Do Doctors

See for Pain Relief?

Forget Surgery, Forget Pills

Bone Solid

Vampire Facial

3 Florida Pain

Management Associates

8 Encompass

Health Rehabilitation

Hospital of Treasure Coast

ENT and Allergy Associates of FloridaClear Headed

Vascular Interventional & Vein AssociatesFamily Feud

FHCN Special ReportExperiencing

Foot or Ankle Pain?

Slim Body Laser SpaBanish Belly Bulges

EarCare, P.A.Music to My Ears

Cancer Care Centers of BrevardA True Beam

Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach

New Perspective

Dean Wellness Institute

11

OphthalmOlOgy

Joseph says his

experience with

Dr. Bucaj has

alleviated his fear

of dentists

Alfons Bucaj, DMD, is a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the American Board of Oral Implantology. He is also an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Dr. Bucaj grad-uated from Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Davie, Florida, and has proudly served the local dental community for more than 15 years. He has acquired many years of continuing education, including courses in surgical and restorative implant dentistry, moderate “twilight” sedation, laser, cosmetics, TMJ, orthodontics and custom mouthguards. Dr. Bucaj is an advisory board member of Indian River State College and lectures frequently on current

standards and concepts of dental care. He is an active member of the American Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Florida Dental Association.

DENTAL IMPLANT CENTER OF VERO BEACH

ALFONS BUCAJ, DMD, P.A.

Visit Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach online at www.dentalimplantsofverobeach.com

Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach is open a.m. to p.m., Monday through Friday. Dr. Bucaj off ers same-day treatment for root canals to tooth extractions. Walk-ins welcome. Call (772) 567-9550 for more information.

Experience the Art and Beauty of Dentistry

The team at Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach welcomes new patients to their practice. For more information or to make an appointment, call or visit the o� ce at:

1880 37th St., Suite 3

(772) 567-9550

Need Emergency

Dental Care?

Teeth and trust restored with implant-retained overdenture

Joseph Klucsarits spent his work-ing years as a supervisor in the data center for Con Edison in his native New York. Not long after he retired

in 1999, he relocated to Florida, in part because of the warmer weather but also because his wife has friends here.

Among the many possessions Joseph brought with him to the Sunshine State were some lingering dental problems and the deep-seated fear of dentists that fueled those problems in the � rst place.

“My teeth have been bad since grade school,” Joseph acknowledges. “� ey were terrible. � e fact is, I was negligent about my teeth because I’ve feared dentists since I was a kid. Going to one has always been a trying experience for me.

“I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money, so we didn’t have a per-sonal dentist. We went to a dental school in Manhattan, and the students worked on us. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience. Because I was negligent about my teeth, they started rotting away.”

Joseph’s teeth eventually deteriorated to the point where many of them had to be pulled. He ended up with a full denture for his upper arch of teeth and a partial denture supporting his lower arch, which still had some natural teeth. Recently, those remain-ing lower teeth also began to fail, forcing Joseph to � nd a dentist to treat the problem.

“I was afraid,” he shares. “Just the mere fact of thinking about a dentist really turned me o� . � en, a friend of my wife recommended Dr. Bucaj.”

Alfons Bucaj, DMD, is a skilled and experienced dentist at Dental Implant

Center of Vero Beach. He treats many fearful patients and knows exactly what to do to ease their stress. He helped Joseph feel reassured about being in the dentist’s o� ce. Joseph became comfortable enough to discuss options for his treatment.

“Dr. Bucaj was very pleasant and always had a smile on his face,” Joseph relates. “He was very nice, and he explained everything to me. He put me at ease. I felt good knowing what had to be done.”

During his examination, Dr. Bucaj noted that the remainder of Joseph’s bottom teeth were failing badly. He described several options to reconstruct Joseph’s lower arch, including a traditional lower denture and a dental implant-retained � xed or removable overdenture. Joseph agreed on a removable, implant-retained overdenture.

“After I described the options, Joseph knew that a traditional lower denture would limit his chewing capabilities because it’s only secured by adhesive,” notes Dr. Bucaj. “An implant-retained overden-ture would allow him to chew e� ciently and not worry about the denture becoming dislodged while eating or speaking. � at’s why I recommended a simple, two-implant overdenture system with the dental pros-thetic snapping on top of the implants with a series of gaskets.”

Intermediate OptionOne of the bene� ts of an implant-retained overdenture is the implants themselves are made of titanium. � ey don’t decay like natural teeth and will never require end-odontic treatment, or root canals.

“Implants also have a decades-long survival rate,” adds Dr. Bucaj. “In ninety-nine percent of cases, they last for a

lifetime supported in the jaw. � e forces of the bite are much better as well. Implant-retained overdentures increase chewing ability by nine times compared to conventional dentures. � at can make a big di� erence in quality of life.”

Dentists can reconstruct an arch with a prosthesis that is � xed and never comes out or a traditional denture that is taken out nightly for cleaning. A removable, implant-retained overdenture is an inter-mediate option for restoring a lower arch.

“The removable overdenture is a hybrid,” reports Dr. Bucaj. “It’s partially � xed because of the implants and partially removable. It provides the flexibility of coming out for cleaning, but the security of staying in place during eating and speaking.”

When it comes to fearful patients, Dr. Bucaj and his sta� are specialists. � ey see patients with dental phobia through-out the day. Dr. Bucaj has a strategy to address their fear.

“We expect fear in the older popula-tion,” he observes. “� ey’ve experienced dentistry before the advancements, when there were fewer things to o� er for

NEW Perspective

sedation, and principles and techniques weren’t so modern. Those things have evolved signi� cantly over the years.

“To help these patients, we get to know them. We talk with them at length and discuss the processes and procedures, and how the experience is going to be. We gain their trust.”

In many cases, dental patients are fearful in anticipation of any needed procedures, and the preoperative and post-operative pain they think will come with it.

“It’s important to know the patients and determine their needs and fears right from the beginning,” asserts Dr. Bucaj. “� en, we can design a custom treat-ment plan that meets those needs and addresses those fears.

“Today’s advanced techniques and technology make dentistry rel-atively painless. Even so, we have newer methods of sedation to help make patients comfortable before and during their procedures.”

Form and FunctionJoseph says his new, implant-retained overdenture is working great because he can eat anything he desires now without di� culty. He also likes that the denture is removable yet stays � rm in his jaw.

“I even eat walnuts, which I really like,” marvels Joseph. “They have a tendency to get under the denture, but that’s one of the reasons I take it out, to remove things like that. Now, I can eat just about everything. � ere’s nothing I like that I turn down.

“� e denture is pretty solid. � ere’s got to be a little movement or else I wouldn’t be able to get it in and out. It’s not a noticeable amount of movement, just enough to remove and replace it.”

For Joseph, the denture’s appearance is more than satisfactory, but that wasn’t an important consideration for getting the job done. He’s amazed by the way the dental work turned out, but stunned that he got through it despite his fear of dentists. He gives Dr. Bucaj and his sta� credit for that.

“The denture looks good to me,” Joseph says. “I wasn’t really worried about how the denture looked. I was more con-cerned about how it worked, if I would be able to enjoy eating, and I do. � e look didn’t really matter to me, but they do look good. � ey look like real teeth.

“One of the best parts of this whole process is that I had no apprehension about getting the work done. Dr. Bucaj made me feel at ease. � e whole crew at Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach was very courteous, and I never had a problem with going to the o� ce. � e whole thing was a great experience. Now, it’s very nice to go there.

“I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to send somebody to Dr. Bucaj and Dental Implant Center of Vero Beach.” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. nj

One of the best parts of this whole process is

that I had no apprehension

about getting the work done.

Dr. Bucaj made me feel at ease.– Joseph

Page 2 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition Dental Implants

HAROLD J. CORDNER, MD, FIPP, ABIPP

Physicians really do know the best doctors

W hen it comes to pain management special-ists, few attain the level of expertise and respect

throughout their communities that Harold J. Cordner, MD, of Florida Pain Management Associates in Sebastian and Vero Beach has.

Eugene A. Melvin, Jr., MD, has battled back problems for years. � e excruciating ache in his lower back led to burning pain that ran down his left leg. In 2014, he had a discectomy that provided signi� cant pain relief, but a recent injury caused the pain to return with a vengeance.

Looking for quick relief, Dr. Melvin first visited several pain management physicians in the Orlando area, where the interventional pain management physician has a practice of his own. He underwent various injections and abla-tions - procedures that destroy a� ected spinal nerves using heat energy – but those treatments provided only min-imal relief. As a result, he turned to Dr. Cordner, whose skill and expertise, Dr. Melvin says, sets him apart from others in his � eld.

“� ese individuals in Orlando were good doctors, but they just did not have the skills and techniques Dr. Cordner has,” observes Dr. Melvin. “Dr. Cordner performed a unique type of injection on me that really relieved a lot of the pain I was experiencing.

“He used a special technique called a Racz catheter procedure, during which he advanced a catheter into the spinal canal through the sacrum. Once he arrived at the correct location, he broke up some of the scar tissue that was in there causing pain.”

� e Racz catheter procedure proved more effective than any of the other pain-relieving techniques Dr. Melvin had tried previously. Should his pain return,

Dr. Melvin says he will likely opt for spinal cord stimulation and will certainly have Dr. Cordner perform this surgery.

“If I need it, I will absolutely, hands down, ask Dr. Cordner to do the spi-nal cord implant procedure,’’ exudes Dr. Melvin. “He is my pain guy!”

“Highly Respected”Much like Dr. Melvin, Michael Venazio, MD, has a history of back pain radiat-ing into his legs as well. Several years ago, when the pain became too severe, he too consulted Dr. Cordner, whom he has known for more than 15 years.

“I refer a lot of my patients to him, and they’re always satis� ed,” Dr. Venazio says. “He’s very highly respected in the � eld, so when I su� ered a signi� cant herniated disc at the L4/L5 level, I went to see Dr. Cordner.

“He gave me a series of epidural steroid injections, followed by a nucle-oplasty procedure, which really helped my pain to where it’s minimal to non-existent at this point.”

� e same can be said for internal med-icine practitioner David DePutron, DO.

“I have cervical spinal stenosis, a con-dition in which the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves,” explains Dr. DePutron. “I also have a problem whereby arthritic change of the lower part of the cervical spine intermittently results in pressure on my spinal cord. � at causes discom-fort and numbness in the fourth and � fth � ngers of both hands.

“Dr. Cordner treats me periodically to alleviate that intermittent problem. I’ve had this condition since 1996, and have not had a need for any therapy other than what Dr. Cordner has pro-vided. I have literally referred hundreds of patients to him and consider us lucky to have him in our community.”

All in the FamilyScott Glaser, MD, agrees. Dr. Glaser � rst got to know Dr. Cordner through the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Glaser became so impressed by his expertise that he called on Dr. Cordner when his father was strug-gling with a serious pain issue.

Dr. Glaser’s father su� ered with sig-nificant spinal stenosis. He was living alone at the time and was in so much pain that it became di� cult for him to get out of bed or even walk to the bathroom.

Dr. Glaser knows of many excellent pain physicians closer to Palm Coast, where his father resided, but none, he says, were as good as Dr. Cordner. That’s why he didn’t mind making

Who Do Doctors See for Pain Relief?

the two-hour drive to Florida Pain Management Associates to see him.

“Dr. Cordner’s subspecialty of inter-ventional pain medicine teaches him just where to put that medication to get the best results,” Dr. Glaser educates. “Using x-ray guidance, he injected that medicine right next to the irritated nerve in my father’s back, and it worked. It worked quite rapidly in fact, within a few days.”

As an orthopaedic surgeon, Kirk Maes, MD, is well aware of Dr. Cordner’s reputation as well, and just as Dr. Glaser did, he recently referred a family mem-ber struggling with pain management to Dr. Cordner.

“Dr. Cordner gave my family mem-ber a series of injections, and she was able to run a marathon afterwards,” Dr. Maes explains. “She’s done really well.

So has the uncle of Carlos Vizcarra, MD. A resident of Peru, Dr. Vizcarra’s uncle has suffered for many years from intractable pain from shingles. Unfortunately, physicians in Peru do not o� er some of the treatments available here.

Dr. Vizcarra felt so strongly about Dr. Cordner’s expertise in pain manage-ment that he encouraged his uncle to � y to the United States to get the best possi-ble care available and saw to it that he was treated by Dr. Cordner.

“My uncle came here and underwent two treatments with Dr. Cordner and had a great response,” says Dr. Vizcarra. “Dr. Cordner was excellent.”

Common ConclusionsDr. Cordner stays on the leading edge of interventional pain medicine, so he always has the latest treatment advances for his patients.

“� ere’s not a second thought in my mind that if you need a pain specialist, it should be Dr. Cordner,” adds Dr. Venazio. “He’s one of the best pain physicians in Florida. He’s intelligent and well-versed, his pain knowledge is excellent, and his technique is stellar.”

“I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Cordner,’’ adds Dr. Glaser. “� ink about it. I recommended him to my dad. If I trusted him with a family member, I would trust him with anybody.”

“My patients come to me and they are very happy with Dr. Cordner’s approach, his manners, and his knowledge about pain management,” says Dr. Vizcarra. “I refer at least ninety percent of my pain patients to him.”

“He is without a doubt the most skilled and insightful pain manage-ment doctor within two hundred miles,” assures Dr. Maes. “He is the go-to guy around here.”FHCN staff article. Stock graphics from Pixabay. mkb

Harold J. Cordner, MD, FIPP, ABIPP, is board certi� ed in anesthesiol-ogy and pain management by the American Board of Anesthesiology, and in interventional pain management by the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians. He received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Dr. Cordner completed an internship in general surgery and residency in anesthesiology at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ. He is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, International Neuromodulation Society and numerous national and international pain societies, and frequently lectures and teaches physicians advanced interventional pain proce-dures nationally and internationally. Consumers Research Council of America named Dr. Cordner one of “America’s Top Physicians.”

Get Back Into the Swing of Things

Visit Florida Pain Management Associates on the web at www.� oridapain.com

Regain Your Pain-Free LifestylePain management allows individuals who experience chronic pain to enjoy life and get back into the swing of things. Dr. Cordner treats a variety of painful conditions, including arthritic back pain, cancer pain, whiplash injury, arthritis, bursitis, vascular disease, re� ex sympathetic dystrophy, herpes zoster (shingles), intercostal neuralgia, sacroiliac joint arthropathy, failed back surgery syndrome, post-laminectomy syndrome, scoliosis, diabetic neuropathy and headaches

Dr. Cordner welcomes your questions about pain management. To schedule a consultation, please call or

visit the offi ces of Florida Pain Management Associates at one of these two locations:

Sebastian US Hwy.

Vero Beach th Place, Suite

(772) 388-9998

Indian River County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 3paIn management

Seeing BetterThe caring staff at the Center for Advanced Eye Care welcomes your questions about cataracts, intraocular lenses to correct vision, retinal issues, glaucoma surgery and all other eye concerns. For more information or to schedule a

consultation, call or visit their offi ces in Vero Beach at:

3500 US Hwy. 1

(772) 299-1404William J. Mallon, MD, is board certi� ed by the prestigious American Board of Ophthalmology. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, East Lansing, he was awarded his medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, graduating as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Dr. Mallon served his internship at Methodist Hospital, Memphis, TN, and completed his residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, followed by a fellowship in ophthalmic plastic & reconstructive surgery in Memphis. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, and is past president of the board of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology.

Adam M. Katz, MD, is board certi� ed by the prestigious American Board of Ophthalmology. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Union College in New York, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, he was awarded his medical degree from Albany Medical College, NY. Dr. Katz completed his internship in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. After completing a three-year residency in ophthalmology at Saint Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan, he went on to complete a one-year medical retina fellowship at NYU and a second two-year retina fellowship in Memphis with world-renowned retinal surgeon Steve Charles, MD. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Florida State University and was recently elected as President of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology. Dr. Katz has more than 20 years of clinical experience treating patients with retinal and vitreous disorders.

J. Michael Schnell, MD, is board certi� ed by the prestigious American Board of Ophthalmology. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College and a Master’s degree in counseling from Colgate University, Dr. Schnell was awarded his medical degree from the University of Maryland, where he also served his medical internship and his residency in ophthalmology. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Ocular Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Sarah S. Khodadadeh, MD, is board certi� ed by the prestigious American Board of Ophthalmology. She received her undergraduate degree in micro-biology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and her Master of Science and medical degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit. Following a one-year internship at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn, where she served as chief resident, Dr. Khodadadeh completed her oph-thalmology residency at Henry Ford Hospital. She practiced in the Midwest before returning to complete her glaucoma fellowship at Yale University. Dr. Khodadadeh serves on the American Academy of Ophthalmology Self-Assessment Committee nationally for the glaucoma division and treats patients as a comprehensive ophthalmologist and as a glaucoma specialist.

Edward S. Branigan III, MD, is board certi� ed by the prestigious American Board of Ophthalmology. He received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, and then graduated from Downstate Medical Center. Following an internal medicine internship at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Branigan served as a � ight surgeon at Patrick Air Force Base. He then completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Virginia. Dr. Branigan has been practicing ophthalmology in Vero Beach for more than 30 years.

Alexander D. Blandford, MD, is a board-certi� ed ophthalmologist with a focus in oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Blandford completed a two-year fellowship approved by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASOPRS) at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. While a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, he was awarded the Outstanding Clinical Fellow Award and the Knights Templar Research Award by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Dr. Blandford completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Florida, where he served as chief resident and was elected the Resident of the Year. Originally from Lexington, KY, Dr. Blandford attended medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he was elected to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and received the Clinical Translational Science Research Grant.

For more information, please visit the Center for Advanced Eye Care online at www.caec.info

(continued from page 1)

“When he got in there, he eventually found that the can-cer involved almost the entire lower eyelid,” Virginia reveals. “� e way he found that out was by taking a small piece at a time and having a pathologist review each piece very carefully.”

In order to conservatively remove all of the skin cancer, three specimens were required and revealed that the skin can-cer involved approximately 70% of her lower eyelid. Virginia says she had no pain during the pro-cedure and Dr. Blandford and his sta� kept her very comfort-able the entire time.

“I was so happy that he had found the cancer and that he was working so hard to make sure he got all of it out,” Virginia states. “Doctors had been looking at that eye for four years, but none of them ever suspected cancer was the problem.”

“Dr. Blandford was the first one to say, Hey, what is this? And he found it the very � rst time he looked at it. And then he was so persistent about making sure he got it all, and the procedure wasn’t painful at all. I was awake the whole time and never felt a thing.”

“Marvelous” WorkDr. Blandford completed his work by rebuilding Virginia’s lower eye-lid. He performed a rotational � ap in which tissue was recruited from nearby to reconstruct the lower eyelid and ensure the eyelid main-tained its function of protecting Virginia’s eye. “He was able to put it back together without doing anything drastic, and you can’t even tell that anything was ever done,” Virginia exudes. “I had a friend of mine ask me just the other day, What eye was it that you had the problem with?

“Dr. Blandford really did a marvelous job. I don’t have a prob-lem with those eyelashes anymore because those eyelashes are all gone. But you can’t even tell, really. � at’s how good a job he did. And most importantly the cancer is all gone.

“I’m so glad that I was told to go see Dr. Blandford. He’s a great doctor, and he’s very kind and caring in the way he treats his patients. If anyone has a problem like mine, I recommend they go see Dr. Blandford. He’s the best there is!”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Graphic from

Pixabay. Photos by Nerissa Johnson. njVirginia has � nally found relief from

her irritating eyelid disorder

Eye-Opening Experience

Cataract Risk FactorsIn addition to advancing age, here are other risk factors for cataracts:

• Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources

• Diabetes• Hypertension• Obesity• Smoking• Nutritional defi ciency• Prolonged use of

corticosteroids

• Statin medicines to reduce cholesterol

• Previous eye injury, infl ammation or surgery

• Hormone replacement therapy

• Signifi cant alcohol consumption

• High myopia• Family history

Page 4 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition

Barry LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloAnnette MardisEditorial Staff

Laura EngelProduction Assistant

Nerissa JohnsonGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszFred BelletPhotography

Steve TurkMario Hill

Kent BoothRobert MizeRick Bowser Distribution

Center for Advanced Eye CareOphthalmology

Dental Implant Center of Vero BeachDental Implants

Florida Pain Management Associates

Pain Management

Regenerative Biologics InstituteStem Cell Treatment

EarCare, P.A.Audiology and Hearing Aids

Cancer Care Centers of BrevardOncology

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital

of Treasure CoastRehabilitation

ENT and Allergy Associates of Florida

Ear, Nose and Throat

Slim Body Laser SpaLaser Aesthetics

Dean Wellness InstituteFacial Aesthetics

Vascular Interventional & Vein AssociatesVascular Surgery

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

Florida Health Care News

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

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

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Winter 2019

OphthalmOlOgy

Want to know more? Visit Regenerative Biologics Institute online at www.rbistemcell.com

BRETT HAAKE, DODON PORTELL, MD

MEL RICHARDSON, MDJAY JOHNSTON, MMS, PA-C

JASON GRIFFETH, MS

Repairing the Body a More Natural Way

The clinical team at Regenerative Biologics Institute has the expertise to o� er the most advanced anti-aging and regenerative therapies to help patients sustain their health and quality of life. For more information about the latest in anti-aging and regenerative therapies, and about achieving optimal health in a more natural way, please call or visit the Institute in Vero Beach at:

3730 7th Terrace, Suite 302A

(772) 492-6973

Ten weeks after TruGenta, Michael felt no pain in his left knee.

T he cartilage in Michael Vernon’s joints is literally dis-integrating. � e Cleveland, Ohio native has degenerative

arthritis that’s wearing away the protective tissue that cushions the bones and enables smooth movement.

Forget Surgery, Forget PillsRegenerative medicine heals knee, back pain

� e resulting pain began in his knees, where he had previously su� ered a couple of injuries and recently su� ered a third. It also a� ected his back, where he was recently diagnosed with spinal stenosis and had a couple of collapsed discs.

“I had a sports injury on my right knee back in 1970, but I had that corrected,” Michael recalls. “My left knee wasn’t as bad. I hurt it in a rec-reational accident years ago, when I fell off a golf cart.

“At the time, my doctor said that since I didn’t make my living with my legs – I’m a behavioral therapist at a weight loss clinic – there was really no reason to do anything about that knee. However, last summer, it got aggravated when I tore my medial collateral ligament [MCL] and damaged some cartilage. It became very painful after that.

“Due to the knee pain, moving around was rough. It was very hard just to get in and out of the car. I had to keep my left leg elevated as much as possible, and I was taking pain medication quite often. My pain was an eight or nine, sometimes a ten out of ten.

“I’ve had the degenerative arthritis for � fteen years, so I had to give up play-ing golf. I � gured I was about six months away from being in a wheelchair.”

� e last thing Michael wanted was to go through knee replacement surgery, then he remembered something a friend told him about years earlier. The friend, who was a veterinarian, used regenerative therapy on his patients, and he encouraged Michael to consider the treatment when it became avail-able for humans.

Michael patiently waited for medical sci-ence to catch up. By 2018, when Michael aggravated his left knee and was in excruciating pain, regenerative medicine had long since been approved for use in humans.

“I started by doing a bunch of research on regenerative medicine and inquiring about places that do it,” Michael reports. “I saw a place on the internet that uses your

own cells as opposed to getting them from other sources. I liked that. It’s quite a bless-ing to be treated with your own cells.

“After doing the research, I decided the best thing to do was get started and find out if regenerative medicine was really the treatment of the future.”

� e website Michael discovered on the internet belonged to Regenerative Biologics Institute (RBI) in Vero Beach. At RBI, Jason Gri� eth, MS, clinical direc-tor and stem cell scientist, and the other regenerative medicine specialists spent ten years optimizing RBI’s unique treatment protocol, TruGenta™ Injection � erapy.

Healing Solution“TruGenta is a proprietary formulation of the highest-quality stem cells, plate-lets and other bioactive growth factors,” Jason describes. “� e cells and growth fac-tors work together to stimulate healing

in an arthritic or injured joint. It’s an excellent non-surgical treatment option for people with degenerat-ing joints, such as Michael.

“ H e h a d d e g e n e r a t i v e arthritis in his knee and back and was looking for a way to heal without the need for surgery or

pharmaceuticals. He didn’t want to use cortisone either because he knew it could cause further tissue damage. Instead, he was looking for a more natural way to heal his condition and its underlying cause.”

TruGenta Injection � erapy involves a brief, minimally invasive procedure that

provides a bene� cial alternative to surgery for reducing joint pain and regenerating arthritic or injured tissue. It is o� ce based, with little or no downtime or recovery. Patients generally walk into the Institute for the injections and walk out a couple of hours later with minimal restrictions.

The process used for TruGenta Injection � erapy begins by isolating and concentrating the patient’s own regener-ative stem cells and platelets.

“Stem cells are the body’s natural repair cells and are capable of healing and repairing tissue,” states Jason. “� ey are also highly anti-inflammatoryand release many growth factors within the joints that stimulate 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 cartilage 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. Platelets contain many healing substances and growth factors that can stimulate and assist stem cells in their regenerative activity.

“Once we concentrate the platelets in the form of platelet-rich plasma, we per-form a direct injection of that concentrate and the stem cells into the patient’s area of need, either an arthritic joint or the spine,” informs Jason. “We ensure the injections are precise using the guidance of either ultrasound or � uoroscopy [live x-ray] if the injection is in the spine.

“After we inject the stems cells and platelet-rich plasma into the arthritic areas, those cells potentially form new tis-sue and reduce in� ammation and pain. By

reducing in� ammation, they’re working to treat the underlying cause of the con-dition instead of just treating symptoms. � is is the best regenerative therapy cur-rently available.”

TruGenta Injection � erapy is used to treat many orthopedic conditions of the knee, including arthritis, torn tendons and ligaments and torn menisci. It is also used successfully for many spinal prob-lems such as bulging discs, herniated discs and degenerative disc disease.

Extraordinary SuccessRBI harvested fat cells from Michael’s stomach and combined that with his own platelets to produce his TruGenta injec-tion. Michael was con� dent that would minimize any chance of rejection and give the cells the best opportunity to be e� ec-tive. He was right.

“� ey injected me in two locations – my back and my left knee – and ten months later, I couldn’t be happier,” Michael raves. “My left knee is now a brand-new knee. I have no pain in my knee whatsoever. I think I bought at least ten years with it by having the regenerative therapy.

“My back is also much better, but I still need some help there. Where I had the work done feels great; the pain level is down to a three or four. But, I’ve got a few more sites on my back I’d like to have done. I plan on going back to RBI for more injections.”

It’s not part of RBI’s TruGenta proto-col, but Michael chose to add hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help optimize his body’s ability to accept the stem cells and platelets. He believes the treatment con-tributed to his quick results.

“I started feeling a di� erence in my knee about three weeks after the injec-tion,” says Michael. “That’s when the swelling went down a little bit. At six weeks, my knee felt even better, and by ten weeks, there was no pain in it at all.

“I’ve been recommending RBI and their TruGenta Injection Therapy to everybody I know who has problems with their knees or back,” he adds. “My treatment was extraordinarily successful, and I’m going back to do it again on other areas of my back.

“One of my goals is to get back on the golf course. Who knows, with regen-erative medicine, maybe I can live to be a hundred and play basketball again. Anything’s possible.” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. mkb

Indian River County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 5stem Cell treatment

KAREN COWAN-OBERBECK, AUD, FAAA, CCC-AGLENN A. OBERBECK, BC-HIS

BEATRICE MCCABE, HAS

For Expert Hearing Care

please contact EarCare at the following locations:

Melbourne7777 N. Wickham Rd., Ste. 21

Merritt Island250 North Courtenay Pkwy., Ste. 102

Indian Harbour Beach1875D S. Patrick Dr.

(321) 216-2997For further information, please visit www.earcare.net

Age is a good time to establish a hearing baseline. If you answer “yes” to three or more of these questions, it may be time to have your hearing evaluated by an audiologist.

• Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?

• Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?

• Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?

• Do you have to strain to understand conversation?

• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?

• Do you fi nd yourself asking people to repeat themselves?

• Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?

• Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?

• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

When Should Your Hearing

Be Evaluated?

Music to My Ears New hearing aids hit right note with singer, songwriter

N ow that he’s retired, former behavioral health and che-motherapy nurse Patrick Deane has a lot more time

to devote to his creative endeavors, which include writing and recording original songs for the band he and some buddies formed a few years back.

“It’s called the GoFoot Band, and we do some covers, too, but we mostly record our own stu� and send the songs out to friends and family members,” Patrick, 65, explains. “Some of it’s even available on iTunes® and Spotify® and some of the other digital formats.

“We still play live once in a while, too, but not as much as we used to because we’re all retired and getting older and it’s a bit of a hassle. But we really enjoy getting together and learning each other’s songs and playing.”

Patrick’s willingness to set up and tear down a live gig isn’t the only thing that has waned a bit over the years. His hearing has faded as well. Oddly, it wasn’t while playing his music that he noticed the dete-rioration the most.

“I � rst started wearing a hearing aid in my left ear several years ago, mostly for work, because I was having trouble hear-ing people clearly,” Patrick says. “I stopped wearing it after I retired, but a while back, I noticed my hearing was getting worse.

“I was constantly asking people, What? What? What? all the time during our con-versations, and that’s what convinced me that I needed to get my ears checked again and possibly get some new hearing aids.”

Patrick leaned on his insurance company to help him � nd a new hear-ing aid center. Their recommendation was EarCare, which has locations in Melbourne, Indian Harbour Beach and

Merritt Island, which is where he met Beatrice McCabe, HAS.

“� e � rst thing we did with Patrick was give him a full diagnostic hearing exam by our board certi� ed audiologist and business owner, Dr. Karen Cowan-Oberbeck. What we found was that he did have hearing loss in both ears,” Beatrice reports. “But we also found something else that was interesting.

“Even with his hearing aid, Patrick’s speech understanding was better on one side. � at’s important because we’re not only concerned with hearing levels or volume. Good speech understanding is critical for compre-hension and clarity. � e hearing test is a critical part of the puzzle that guides us to adjust the specific frequen-cies to improve his word understand-ing to one-hundred percent.”

Acting on the discoveries made as a result of the test-ing phase, Beatrice recommended a new set of hearing aids for Patrick featuring several major technological upgrades that were not available when he purchased his single hearing aid a decade earlier.

Based on his desire for hearing aids that do not require batteries, Patrick chose a rechargeable ReSound model called the LiNX Quattro™. Its recharge-able feature is one of the many advances that makes it one of the top hearing instruments available.

ReSounding Diff erenceIn addition to eliminating the need for batteries, the ReSound LiNX Quattro creates an environment in which the wearer can better identify speech and other sounds in noisy surroundings while maintaining a better dimension of control

over all sounds, n o m a t t e r the setting.

“We’re not j u s t t a l k i n g about adjusting the volume,” explains Glenn A. Oberbeck, BC-HIS and o w n e r , a t EarCare. “With these hearing aids, the wearer has individual controls over

the microphone patterns, noise can-cellation and the manipulation of the frequency response throughout the dif-ferent hearing levels.

“You have the ability to actually modify the bass, the treble and the mid frequencies, and you have the ability to save that program after you’ve manipu-lated it so that when you get back into that environment again or into one with similar acoustics, you can retrieve that program.

“You can create up to twelve di� er-ent custom programs, which is amazing. When you get into a favorite restaurant or an auditorium, you need to be able to hear the person that’s talking. � is hearing aid saves your settings so next time you go there, you can get to that optimum setting with just a click of a button.

“With previous technologies, it could be very difficult to communi-cate in some of those scenarios. The ReSound technology also has a free app that you can download onto your smartphone which allows you to manip-ulate the hearing aids in real time.”

� e new ReSound hearing aids are also made with Bluetooth® technology and can be connected to a smartphone, thereby allowing the wearer to hear phone conversations via the phone directly into the hearing aids themselves.

“� e technology available in these new hearing aids is literally leaps and bounds ahead of where it was in the old hearing aid I had,” Patrick con� rms. “And one of the best things about it is how easy it is to use.

“For example, I was in a restaurant with some friends the other day, so on the app on my smartphone, I just tapped the restaurant program, and it automatically reduced all the back-ground noise and enhanced the voices of the people I was with at the table.

“And what a di� erence it has made with my music. I produce my own music, and it’s amazing how much I was missing before, things like the crisp sound of cymbals or even my own guitar playing. All of a sudden, it’s so much brighter and clearer.

“I’m hearing conversations better, and that’s allowing me to be a lot more engaged with friends and family. For a while, I was just sitting there and trying to make out what everyone was saying, but now, I’m a lot more outgoing.

“That’s why I feel fortunate that I was advised to go to EarCare. What they’ve done for me and my hear-ing has truly been life-changing. I’ve got my hearing back, and in a lot of instances, I feel like I’m hear-ing things for the very first time.” FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. nj

Patrick Deane

Karen Cowan-Oberbeck, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A, completed her undergraduate work at the University of South Florida, Tampa. She earned her Master of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, a fellow of the Florida Academy of Audiology, a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and of the Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds current Florida teaching certi� cates in hearing-impaired K-12.

Glenn A. Oberbeck, BC-HIS, is a licensed hearing instrument specialist. His specialty areas include personal communication assistance, cerumen management, audio-metrics and assistive listening devices. He is a member of the International Hearing Society, Florida Society of Hearing Health Professionals, Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Beatrice McCabe, HAS, is a licensed hearing aid specialist. Her specialty areas include personal communication assistance, cerumen management, audiometrics and assistive listening devices.

Page 6 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition auDIOlOgy anD hearIng aIDs

Advanced technology precisely targets radiation to destroy cancer cells

To learn more, visit them online at www.CancerCareBrevard.com

A True BeamC ancer can be complicated.

In many cases, the cause of a cancer’s development is unknown or complex and

poorly understood. On the other hand, the fundamentals of cancer are straight-forward and well recognized. That knowledge is the inspiration behind radi-ation therapy as a cancer treatment.

“� e de� nition of cancer is uncon-trolled cellular division,” informs Rahul Chopra, MD, board-certi� ed radiation oncologist at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard. “When cells are dividing, they use their DNA, which is essentially the instruction manual on how to divide.

“With cancer, the cells continue to divide and use their DNA twenty-four seven. When this happens, especially with cells that don’t typically actively divide, such as those in the brain, they eventually form a mass, a tumor.”

Radiation therapy works as a cancer treatment by interrupting the cancer cells’ dividing process, notes Dr. Chopra.

“Radiation is basically packets of high energy that work at the molecular level,” he explains. “During radiation therapy, this energy is directed into the tumor where the DNA architecture of the cancer cells is disrupted.

“The cancer cells no longer have their instruction manual for dividing and building new cells. � erefore, the cancer cells die o� because they are not able to perform their normal functions.

“Imagine contractors building a house. When those contractors do not have a blueprint to follow, they cannot complete the structure properly to spec.”

Radiation therapy is generally used instead of or in addition to surgery to remove cancerous tumors. It is typically the treatment of choice when a patient’s tumor is not reachable through surgery, not com-pletely removed during surgery or when patients are not candidates for surgery.

“To render patients cancer free, sur-geons must have a complete resection, or removal, of the tumor and surrounding cancer cells,” Dr. Chopra educates. “If a surgeon cannot do that or if we know from oncology testing that there is still some can-cer left after surgery, radiation therapy is often used to kill the remaining cancer cells.

“When deciding to use radiation therapy, we evaluate the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer and the patient’s medical status. It is not used just in patients with late-stage disease when sur-gery has failed to remove all the cancer.

“Even a patient with stage one lung cancer, but who was a heavy smoker all their life, is on oxygen and doesn’t have adequate lung reserves is not a candidate

for surgery. Radiation therapy would be the treatment of choice for this patient.”

Some people consider radiation ther-apy and chemotherapy, the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, as competing treatments. In many cases, however, chemotherapy is used in addition to radiation therapy.

“Radiation therapy and chemo-therapy are more like complementary therapies, rather than competing ther-apies, in the treatment of most solid tumor cancers,” Dr. Chopra elaborates. “Chemotherapy is not a curative treat-ment in these cancers, so it is used as an adjunctive, or helper, treatment.

“Radiation oncology is my specialty. After a medical or surgical internship, we undergo four years of dedicated oncology training in the use of therapeutic exter-nal beam, brachytherapy and unsealed sources of radiation in the treatment of cancer and some benign disease.

“At Cancer Care Centers of Brevard, there are also hematologists-oncologists, or medical oncologists, on sta� who use chemotherapy to treat cancer patients. We o� er both treatments at our centers. Patients do not have to go to a separate center for their chemotherapy.”

Focused TechniquesRadiation therapy is not a new idea, but the past decade or so has seen the devel-opment of many advanced techniques for using radiation to kill cancer cells. � ese include intensity-modulated radiation ther-apy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). � ese techniques allow radiation oncologists to better reach tumors with the radiation beam during treatment.

� e machine used to deliver these types of radiation therapy is called a linear accelerator. Cancer Care Centers of Brevard use the latest technology lin-ear accelerator to provide these advanced techniques of radiation therapy. It’s called the TrueBeam® radiotherapy system.

“� e TrueBeam allows us to perform the full gamut of radiation oncology,” Dr. Chopra con� rms. “With it, we can provide IMRT and IGRT as well as ste-reotactic body radiation therapy, another technique for aiming the radiation. � e TrueBeam enables us to deliver very focused volumes of radiation therapy to destroy tumors throughout the body.

“On the day of treatment, patients lie on a table. � e TrueBeam has built-in arms that take CT scans. � ese scans give us three-dimensional maps of the body, so we can see where the tumors are in relation to the rest of the patients’ organs and tissues. We then target the tumors and deliver the dose of radiation exactly where the cancer is located.”

According to Varian Medical Systems, manufacturer of TrueBeam, the technology is designed from the ground up to treat tumor targets with enhanced speed and accuracy. It can be used wherever radiation

therapy is recommended, including the lung, breast, prostate, and head and neck. It enables radiation oncologists to treat patients quickly, while delivering precise doses of radiation to the target areas.

One technique that can be performed with the TrueBeam is volumetric-modulated arc therapy, or VMAT. VMAT is a more comprehensive form of IMRT. With VMAT, radiation oncologists can shape the radiation dose around the tumor in a three-dimensional volume.

“During VMAT, we can sculpt the radiation around critical structures in the body,” Dr. Chopra relates. “With it, we are able to give a high dose of very conformed radiation right around the tumor and stay away from areas such as the spinal cord, esophagus, heart and other organs.

“We often use VMAT on metastatic brain tumors that develop from cancers that commonly spread to the brain, such as lung, breast and kidney cancer. We have fairly good rates of controlling tumors in the brain with this technology, eighty-� ve to ninety percent in some cases.”

VMAT may also be the type of radi-ation therapy used in those patients with early-stage lung cancer who are not can-didates for surgery. With VMAT using the TrueBeam, the radiation oncologist is able to deliver a high dose of radiation to destroy the lung tumor without surgery.

Independent and AccreditedCancer Care Centers of Brevard is an independent, accredited, comprehensive oncology practice that o� ers a complete range of cancer treatment services, both medical and radiation oncology.

In addition to IMRT, IGRT and VMAT on the TrueBeam radiother-apy system, the centers provide other advanced radiation services. These include CT scanning and simulation, electron beam radiation therapy, high-dose-rate brachytherapy and prostate seed implantation.

“We are the largest independent, comprehensive oncology practice in Brevard County,” Dr. Chopra states. “In addition to full radiation services, we

also provide leading-edge oncology and chemotherapy. We also have a genetic counseling program, and we perform CT and PET scans on site to help in the staging and management of cancer.

“� e centers are accredited by the American College of Radiology, the oldest accrediting body for both radiology and radiation oncology. Accreditation means we meet a standard of quality set by the ACR. Our medical oncologists are accred-ited by the American Society of Clinical Oncology through its Quality Oncology Practice Initiative.

“Cancer Care Centers of Brevard are independent, not hospital-owned or a� liated. As we are independent, we are able to work with all of the hospitals and cancer centers in the region and state of Florida to best assist patients in easily and appropriately accessing their care.”

� e centers participate in Medicare, Medicaid and all major medical insur-ance plans.FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Doctor’s photo courtesy of

Cancer Care Centers of Brevard. Stock photo from Pixabay. mkb

Rahul Chopra, MD, is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, where he earned honors in research. He then completed a residency in radiation oncol-ogy at State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse. Dr. Chopra’s special interests include cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, head and neck, and skin.

Todd V. Panarese, MD, (left) and Rahul Chopra, MD, use the Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator to treat cancer patients.

A Better Way to Fight Cancer

The physicians and staff at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard believe in working together to fi ght cancer. They provide leading-edge cancer care, from diagnosis through treatment into recovery. To make an appointment, contact them at one of their regional locations:

Melbourne/Pine S. Pine St.

(321) 952-0898Melbourne/Eau Gallie

W. Eau Gallie Blvd., Suite (321) 854-4776

Melbourne/Wickham N. Wickham Road

(321) 752-4811Merritt Island

Cone Road(321) 453-7440

Palm Bay San Filippo Dr. SE

(321) 725-8300Rockledge

Longwood Ave.(321) 636-2111

Sebastian US Highway

(772) 589-1995

Cancer Care Centers of Brevard is an affi liate of

Indian River County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 7OnCOlOgy

On � anksgiving Day 2017, Dante*, 26, didn’t feel much like celebrating. � at day, Dante was the victim in a

hit-and-run car accident that left him seriously injured.

“The driver essentially sideswiped my car into a pole,” Dante describes. “It resulted in me having a severe femur fracture up by my right hip. � e local hospital couldn’t do anything for me, so they sent me to a trauma hospital where I had surgery.

“After surgery, they let me try to walk, but I couldn’t. � ey said it would take time for me to walk again. I had to get my foot back to normal because I had foot drop. I also wasn’t able to bend my knee, crouch, put on my socks or do things of that nature. I had trouble just moving my leg.”

� e sta� at the hospital told Dante he needed rehabilitation to regain full mobility. He chose Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Treasure Coast, formerly HealthSouth, for his care.

A Higher Level of Comprehensive

Rehabilitation ServicesEncompass Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital takes patient self-referrals and referrals by patient families or advocates. They welcome readers to tour the hospital seven days a week, no appointment required! Contact the hospital in Vero Beach for an in-home nursing evaluation.

1600 37th St.

(772) 563-4070Visit them online at www.encompasshealth.com/treasurecoastrehab

Working as a TeamDante was evaluated upon arrival at Encompass, where it was determined he required full rehabilitation ser-vices to regain mobility and function. At Encompass, patients with ortho-pedic disorders achieve their goals by par-ticipating in a program that uses a team approach.

“We have a team of providers delivering services to patients in the program,” con� rms Dawn Bucaj, RN, BSN, senior rehab liaison at Encompass. “A typical team includes case managers, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, rehab physicians and primary care physicians. A team like this worked with Dante.”

The team decided Dante needed physical and occupational therapy to help him better perform activities of daily liv-ing. He also required time working on the advanced equipment used to return patients to walking.

Kelly Shields, CRTT, is the ortho-pedic navigator at Encompass. As part of

her job, she aids patients as they progress through the program.

“I work with the physicians and case managers for patients in the orthopedic program,” Kelly explains. “I evaluate patients at all stages and make sure they’re at the correct level of care.

“During Dante’s orthopedic reha-bilitation, he became a candidate for much of our technology, including the AutoAmbulator®. � is is a sophisticated

treadmill device that uses the concept of therapeutic waves. He also used

the MOTOmed®, a machine for patients with

restricted move-ment that p r o m o t e s walking.”

D a w n notes that patients with orthopedic d i s o r d e r s c a n e n t e r

E n c o m p a s s ’s program from home through self-referral or the referral of a family member or advocate. � ose with acute injuries like Dante’s typically enter from a hospital.

“Either way, it’s important that patients and families ask for Encompass by name,” she stresses.

Mobility and IndependenceDante stayed at Encompass for less than a week, but in that short time, he regained signi� cant mobility and function in his right leg and hip.

“Every day, I had three or four therapy sessions, and I progressed very

quickly,” Dante says. “I pretty much had to learn how to walk all over again, but after � ve days of rehabilitation, I could.

“When I was done with my therapy, I was able to do most things on my own again. I could go to the bathroom on my own, walk up and down stairs, get in and out of cars and put on my socks by myself.

“I wasn’t allowed to walk out the door when I left the hospital. I had to go in a wheelchair. But as soon as I was out the door, I walked the rest of the way. Rehabilitation at Encompass Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital gave me back my independence. � ey were awesome.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Stock photo from kisspng. mkb

*Patient’s name changed at his request.

“I had to learn how to walk all over again, but after � ve days of

rehabilitation, I could.” – Dante

Bone SolidOrthopedic program restores

function and independence

A ches and pains in the feet or ankles may be a common complaint among seniors, but it’s important to under-

stand that just because something is commonplace does not mean it’s normal.

Although certain medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes can cause foot pain, the primary cause of most foot pain is actually a problem with the foot’s function or biomechanics.

Pain in the foot or ankle that recurs on a regular basis or lasts for an extended period should be evaluated by a board-certi� ed podiatrist – a physician specially trained in the treatment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

Experiencing Foot or Ankle Pain?Podiatrists treat a wide variety of

podiatric complaints, including heel, foot, and ankle pain and di� cult-to-heal wounds on the lower extremities.

Heel pain may result from stress on the muscles and ligaments of the foot, stretching and tearing of the � brous con-nective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, or tearing of the membrane that covers the heel bone.

Plantar fasciitis, or chronic in� am-mation of the plantar fascia, is the most common cause of heel pain. � e plan-tar fascia is the rigid ligament along the bottom of the foot, and it often becomes a problem for runners and other athletes, people who are required to stand for long periods at work, or even as a result of pregnancy.

A neuroma is an in� ammation and swelling of the digital nerve on the bot-tom of the foot, running between the metatarsal heads at the base of the toes.

Bunions result when a patient’s foot is or becomes unstable, causing the foot to roll and weakening the tendons and ligaments that stabilize the great toe. Repetitive motion from rolling, or over-pronating, allows the bone to drift and causes pain and bone enlargement.

Hammertoe is a bending or curl-ing of the toe, often resulting in the formation of painful corns as the toe deformity presses unnaturally against the patient’s footwear.

Conservat ive treatments for these conditions may include hot or cold compresses, physical therapy,

anti-in� ammatory medications, and cor-tisone injections to relieve pain.

In the event that conservative treat-ments do not provide long-term relief, many of these troublesome conditions can be addressed with a minimally inva-sive outpatient procedure.

For bunions, an osteotomy may be used to surgically realign the bones of the toe, and the corrected position is secured with a small titanium screw implant. In most instances, patients are able to begin wearing soft, comfortable shoes within just two weeks after the procedure.

Patients suffering from unresolved plantar fasciitis often bene� t from endo-scopic plantar fasciotomy, or EPF, a minimally invasive outpatient surgery performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation. � e procedure takes only a few minutes, and patients are typically allowed to return to normal activities within a week.

Morton’s neuroma can typically be treated without surgery in most cases. Dehydrated alcohol injections provide long-term relief for many patients, even in cases where the patient has had a neu-roma excision in the past.

Any course of treatment should be over-seen by a board-certi� ed podiatrist. Above all else, it is important to remember that foot pain is not normal, and that it should be evaluated and treated as soon as possible.

Although we may sometimes take our feet for granted, we shouldn’t. � e better we treat them, the better our active life-styles can be.FHCN staff article. mkb

Common foot and ankle conditions

• Achilles Tendinitis• Ankle Pain• Arthritis• Bunions• Diabetic Foot

Complications (ulcers)

• Flat feet (adult and pediatric)

• Foot Pain• Fractures• Hammer Toes• Heel Pain (Plantar

Fasciitis)• Ingrown Toenails• Morton’s neuroma• Nail Fungus• Plantar Fasciitis• Sprains• Warts

Podiatrists treat problem areas of

the feet, ankle or lower leg by

prescribing one or several of the

following:• Physical therapy• Prescription drugs• Surgery on lower

extremity fractures• Orthotic inserts

or soles

Page 8 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition rehabIlItatIOn

speCIal tO FhCn

Clear Headed

Balloon procedure eliminates chronic sinus symptoms

Henry Kuemin

For 40 years, Henry Kuemin, 96, worked in management and steer-ing for Outboard Marine and Ensign Outboard Motors. � e

Michigan native retired in 1980 and relocated to Florida to bask in the temperate climate. � e warmer weather did nothing, however, to temper an uncomfortable sinus condition.

“I’ve had sinus trouble for years,” Henry admits. “I got headaches and couldn’t get rid of them. � ere was a lot of pressure in my head. It felt like a balloon, and I was woozy a lot. My sinuses were all plugged up, and I couldn’t breathe very well.

“Over time, Henry had been on mul-tiple medications, including steroid nasal sprays and various antibiotics, but they didn’t help him long term. I noticed in his medical records that he hadn’t had a CT scan of his sinuses since 2011, so I ordered one.”

� e results of the CT showed Henry had inflammation and blockage in all four of his sinuses: the maxillary, eth-moid, frontal and sphenoid. Dr. Berghash recommended a procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty to clear the obstructions, and Henry agreed to it.

Breaking Up BlockagesBlocked sinuses are the result of in� am-mation of the tissue of the sinus cavities, which obstructs the openings of the sinuses and impedes drainage. In� ammation can be the result of one of two conditions.

“Fifty percent of the time, it’s related to allergy,” Dr. Berghash observes. “� e other fifty percent of the time, it’s a process that starts with a cold or upper respiratory infection that only partially resolves on its own.

“Because the infection only partially resolves, the lining of the sinus cavities can in� ame, which then leads to blockage. � is, in turn, can cause sinus symptoms and recurrent infections. � is is what hap-pened to Henry.”

Balloon Sinuplasty is an in-of-� ce procedure using local anesthesia. Patients undergoing the treatment are generally pre-medicated with pain medication and a medication to relax them. Before the procedure, the doc-tor sprays numbing medication in their nose. When the procedure starts, more numbing medication is added by injec-tion, which patients typically don’t feel.

“Once everything is calibrated, we go in with the balloon and open up the nat-ural openings, of the sinuses. � is allows normal ventilation of air into the sinuses and healing of the in� amed tissue. We can use this procedure on the maxillary, fron-tal and sphenoid sinuses.”

Visit ENT and Allergy Associates of Florida on their website at www.otodocs.com

Leslie R. Berghash, MD, FACS, is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Dr. Berghash began his education at Hobart College in Geneva, NY, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He attended University of Rochester School of Medicine in NY for his medical degree, then completed an internship and residency in otolaryngology at the School of Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital. Dr. Berghash also completed a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstruc-tive surgery. Dr. Berghash is a member of the American Rhinologic Society, Florida Medical Association and St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County Medical Society.

Hear, Breathe

and Sleep Better

ENT and Allergy Associates of Florida want people to be informed about ear, nose and throat conditions and their treatment. If you suffer with symptoms that impact your hearing, breathing or sleeping, they can help. Contact Dr. Berghash’s office for a consultation at one of their three locations.

Port St. Lucie1801 SE Hillmoor Drive

Suites B-105

(772) 398-9911, Ext. 125

Fort Pierce2100 Nebraska Ave.

Suite 203

(772) 464-6055Okeechobee

1916 Highway 441 N

(863) 357-7791

During Balloon Sinuplasty, a small, � exible balloon catheter is inserted into the nose to open up blocked passageways in the sinuses, which enables drainage

“The balloon is on a guidewire, and we use the Fiagon® Sinus Navigation System to get to the precise location of the blockage,” Dr. Berghash describes. “With this system, we can calibrate a CT scan to line up with, and view the patient’s sinuses in three dimensions in real time.

To open the ethmoid sinuses, Dr. Berghash uses an instrument called a microdebrider. � e microdebrider is a tiny instrument that cuts away the blockages. � is instrument is used because the eth-moid sinuses cannot be ballooned due to their location in the skull. � e microde-brider can also be used to treat certain patients with blocked nasal airways.

“Some patients with deviated sep-tums have spurs, or growths, on their septums,” Dr. Berghash informs. “We can remove those spurs, and we can minimize tissues called inferior turbinates. � e job of the turbinates is to increase the surface area of the nose for humidi� cation, � ltra-tion and air warming.

“The majority of patients with chronic sinus and/or allergy problems have in� ammation and enlargement of their turbinates. We can use the microde-brider to shrink down the turbinates, which e� ectively decreases in� ammation and post-nasal drainage. In essence, it pro-vides the patients with a healthier airway.”

Dr. Berghash stresses that balloon sinuplasty has certain advantages over standard sinus surgery. It decreases surgical risks, and it has a quicker and easier recov-ery, with patients able to return to work in one to two days. � e procedure has been shown to be very e� ective in quali� ed can-didates. � ere’s less discomfort as well.

“I had the balloon surgery done on both sides of my nose, and didn’t hurt at all,” veri� es Henry, “And it opened my sinuses right up.”

Better BreathingAnother advantage of Balloon Sinuplasty over standard sinus surgery is that less tissue is disturbed, so there’s less bleeding during and after the procedure. � is was true in Henry’s case.

Although he occasionally still gets a little congestion, Henry says he has experienced a major turnaround in his

condition. His chronic sinus symp-toms were completely resolved by the Balloon Sinuplasty.

“I’m breathing all right since the sur-gery,” Henry con� rms. “I can breathe in and out of my nose and sinuses with no problems. Dr. Berghash checked me out and said I’m doing � ne after the procedure.”

“Henry is a very healthy ninety-six-year-old,” emphasizes Dr. Berghash. “He’s really done well with this procedure for his age. He’s not reported one sinus symptom since I performed the Balloon Sinuplasty on him in March.”

Henry agrees with Dr. Berghash that the procedure helped signi� cantly. He’s willing to tell his story to others.

“� e surgery with the balloon was de� nitely a success,” enthuses Henry. “I rec-ommend the procedure and Dr. Berghash to anyone with sinus problems.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson.

Blue shirt photo courtesy of Henry Kuemin. mkb

Henry breathes much easier since his surgery.

www.otodocs.com

LESLIE R. BERGHASH, MD, FACSJOHN T. LANZA, MD, FACS

CAMYSHA H. WRIGHT, MD, FAAOA

“I went to my family doctor and other doctors who basically told me to take med-ication, which didn’t do much of anything. My family doctor � nally said I needed to see a specialist. He told me to get in con-tact with Dr. Berghash, so in February, I made an appointment with him.”

Henry’s doctor referred him to Leslie R. Berghash, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates of Florida, which has o� ces in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and Okeechobee. Dr. Berghash specializes in conditions of the ears, nose and throat.

Henry liked the doctor immediately.“Dr. Berghash is great,” Henry states.

“He is a very nice fellow and a gentle-man. I enjoy talking with him. He is very knowledgeable and explained my condi-tion very thoroughly.”

As part of Henry’s initial consulta-tion, Dr. Berghash asked him about his condition and his symptoms. � e doctor learned that past treatments Henry tried didn’t give him sustained relief.

“For years, Henry lived with symp-toms such as congestion, pressure, fullness, post-nasal drainage, headaches and recurrent sinus infections,” notes Dr. Berghash. “� ese are all typical symp-toms of an ongoing sinus condition. � e diagnoses were nasal obstruction, post-nasal drainage and chronic sinusitis.

Indian River County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 9ear, nOse anD thrOat

TRED J. RISSACHER, DC

Tred J. Rissacher, DC, completed his undergrad-uate studies at Indian River Community College and earned his Doctorate degree in Chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. He attends postgraduate seminars on the diagnosis and treatment of spine disorders. The Lapex BCS is being used “o� label” for spot fat reduction and laser-assisted weight loss.

For more information, please visit www.slimbodylaserspa.com

B&As of Dr. Rissacher’s patients

9 treatments/3 weeks’ time Total inch loss = 10 1/2”

9 treatments/3 weeks’ time Total inch loss = 8 1/2”

Results may vary from person to person based on di� erent factors, and there is no guarantee for speci� c results. Testimonials and examples found in this publication, in our article from the Slim Body Laser Spa of Stuart, are veri� ed results that have been actually achieved by our clients as described.

However, these results may not apply to the average person and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. FDA indications for use FDA 510(k) � e Lapex is intended to emit energy in the visible and infra red spectrum to provide topical heating for the purpose of elevating tissue temperature for the

temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and sti� ness, minor arthritis pain or muscle spasm, the temporary increase in local blood circulation and/or temporary relaxation of muscle.

Stuart SE Ocean Blvd.,

Suite A(772) 223-5885

Here’s where you can find us:

Relax your way to losing stubborn pounds and inchesBanish Belly Bulges

Jamie Burns

After years of working for a com-pany doing web design, Jamie Burns decided she’d rather work for herself. In 2004, she

started her own business, Working Girl Creative, where she now does web design from home. � e decision to be self-em-ployed turned out to be life-altering for Jamie in more ways than one.

“I do a lot of networking for my busi-ness and for an organization I’m involved with,” she relates. “Along with that, there’s a lot of volunteering and many charity events. At one of those events, I won a certi� cate for laser weight-loss treatment sessions.

“I’d spent the last year trying to lose some of the weight I gained, weight that just crept up on me over the years. It was mostly around my midsection. I tried a number of di� erent diets, but didn’t make any headway losing the weight.”

� e failed diets frustrated Jamie, as did the way her clothes were beginning to feel on her. She had to stop wearing anything form-� tting because they exag-gerated the bulge around her middle. Eventually, she reached a tipping point and made a decision to act.

“� e clothes I had were becoming uncomfortable,” she shares. “Certain clothes, like clingy blouses and leggings, I put in the back of my closet and didn’t want to look at them. I got to the point where I looked in my closet and said, Wait a minute. I don’t want to go up another size.

“� en I thought, I’ve got to change something. So, I decided, I’m going to do something completely different than I’ve done before. I’m going to sign up for those laser weight-loss sessions.”

� e certi� cate Jamie won was donated by Tred Rissacher, DC, of Slim Body Laser Spa in Stuart.

“When I walked in, it felt like a spa,” Jamie recalls. “It was very professional and organized. I was immediately greeted by the girls at the reception desk. I’ve known of Slim Body Laser Spa for years from going to the Women’s Power Lunch, so that was one reason I was comfortable trying something that had laser in its title.

“Dr. Tred then showed me a video and explained how the program worked, and it made so much sense to me, much more than the other thing I looked into, which freezes fat cells. I said, Okay, I’m going through with this.

“� e actual process was easy. I just laid on my back for thirty minutes while the laser released the stored calories, I listened to music like you’d hear in a mas-sage spa, and it was very calming.”

Each 30-minute laser session includes three ten-minute treatments on di� erent problem areas. When the sessions are completed, patients are encouraged to go to an area called the whole body vibration room, con� rms Dr. Tred.

“� e laser treatments release stored calories from the fatty layer of cells,” he educates. “It’s a slow process for the body to absorb and convert those calories into energy with normal exercise and time. Whole body vibration accelerates this transfer of energy.

“Without whole body vibration, it takes two to three days for the body to burn the released calories. Whole body vibration does it e� ectively in only ten minutes, so patients get results quicker and lose inches more consistently than they would if they relied on home exercise to burn the calories.”

Goodbye GirthDr. Tred’s Ultimate Laser-Assisted Weight Loss System is like a dream come true. With it, many people can lose one to � ve inches of measured girth while lying on their backs for 30 minutes three times per week for three weeks. � at’s with no strict calorie reduction or excessive exercise.

“This dream has become reality in the form of today’s FDA-approved tech-nology called low-level laser lipo machines, also known as red light lasers,” observes Dr. Tred. “� ere’s no longer a need for people to subject themselves to the risks associated with surgical interventions such as liposuc-tion and tummy tucks, or the use of thermal energy such as fat freezing and hot lasers.

“When applied to the fat layer underneath the skin, low-level laser ther-apy will produce predictable, consistent,

sustainable inch reduction without pain, downtime, rigid food discipline or stren-uous exercise. Areas such as the belly, chest, back, thighs, arms and chin can all be safely improved using laser lipo.”

The difference is the laser, which works directly on the problem fat cells, causing them to release their contents and shrink. Each laser session releases approx-imately 40 to 60 grams of free fatty acids, or 400 to 600 calories, into the body’s surrounding tissue.

“Those released fatty acids are absorbed naturally and made available to the body in the form of energy, which is typically utilized over the following day or two,” explains Dr. Tred. “� at’s where whole body vibration comes in. It enables that fatty acid to move more quickly from the surrounding tissue into the body’s met-abolic system, where it is burned as energy.”

Results Beyond BeliefJamie saw a signi� cant di� erence in her belly using Dr. Tred’s Ultimate Laser-Assisted Weight Loss System and was in disbelief at the success of the treatments. And like her career choice, the results of Dr. Tred’s program were life-altering for her.

“After my nine sessions, I lost eight and a half inches in my midsection as well as eight pounds,” she enthuses. “It was great that the results were so immediate, and it was so encouraging after struggling for a year to make some progress with my weight. And to have this happen in only three weeks!

“I won that certificate last year in October, and I had it hanging on my refrigerator. One day, I said, Come January, I’m going to use this certi� cate and

go to Slim Body Laser Spa. It was one of many New Year’s resolutions I made. I � nally made one that’s working.”

After losing pounds and inches, Jamie says she’s happier about the way her clothes are � tting. She’s even dragging out of the back of her closet some of the items she once banished there.

“My clothes are much more comfort-able now, and I don’t worry about having to buy bigger sizes,” she con� des. “I’m now able to wear tops that are a bit more clingy and other form-� tting clothes I couldn’t wear before.”

The three-week, nine-session pro-gram is not the end of the road for Jamie. She plans to use the progress she made at Slim Body Laser Spa as a springboard to living a healthier lifestyle and furthering her weight-loss goals. She also encourages others to become winners by using this program to jumpstart their weight loss.

“I absolutely recommend Dr. Tred’s laser weight-loss system at Slim Body Laser Spa to anyone who’s not seeing progress losing weight with what they’re doing on their own,” she relates Jamie. “It was de� nitely successful for me.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Jamie’s photo by Jordan Pysz.

Lapex before and after images courtesy of Slim Body Laser Spa. mkb

Areas Served:Stuart, Hobe Sound, Palm City,

Jensen Beach, Sewalls Point, Jupiter, Saint Lucie West, Port Saint Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero

Beach and Okeechobee.  

Page 10 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition laser aesthetICs

Melissa Dean, MD, specializes in internal and general preventative medicine and is an expert in treating menopause and andropause. She has also been expertly trained in the field of diabetes man-agement, hormone replacement and nutrition. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1997 and her Master’s degree in the same discipline in 1998. She earned her medical degree

from Ross University of Medicine in 2003 and completed her res-idency training in internal medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center. She was fellowship trained at the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and earned a sec-ond Master’s degree in Metabolic Medicine from the University of South Florida in 2012. In addition to her work domestically, Dr. Dean has traveled to Ireland, Central America and the Amazon to either study local medicine or take part in medical missions.

To learn more about their treatment options, please visit www.deanwellnessinstitute.com

Dean Wellness InstituteDean Wellness Institute has been serving Vero Beach and its surrounding areas for over 15 years. The institute is focused on providing a holistic approach to wellness and improved health and works closely with its patients to improve their quality of life. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call or visit them in Vero Beach at:

1345 36th St.Suite B

(772) 567-1500

Our Mission:To work with each patient in a team approach and provide the most up-to-date information in an integrative manner that empowers each patient to be the best they choose to be. Our focus is getting to the root cause of health issues, rather than just treating the symptom.

MELISSA DEAN, MD

Noninvasive cosmetic procedure rejuvenates skin

Anne was amazingly pleased with the

results of her Vampire Facial

Vampire Facial®

A strong desire to help people look their best runs in Anne Harrell’s family. Her brother is a Chicago-based dermatologist, and she spent several years working as a cosmetolo-

gist before earning certi� cation as a medical electrologist.

Now the owner of Laser Institute of Vero Beach, which specializes in laser hair removal, Anne shares that desire to look her best. It was, in fact, that very desire that triggered the slight turn she made in her career path.

“I had some facial hair going on that I wanted to get rid of, a little chin hair to be more speci� c,” Anne says. “I found out that laser hair removal works really well for that, and I got into it after that. It was my own curiosity that led to the change.”

Anne’s curiosity recently had her looking into yet another beauti� cation therapy. � is one is a skin treatment called the Vampire Facial. � e procedure uses the customer’s own blood to natu-rally rejuvenate their skin and promote healthy growth and activity.

“I’d heard a lot of good things about it, that it was really good for overall skin texture, reducing pore size and building collagen,” Anne relates. “� ose are some things I was looking for in a skin treat-ment, so I started looking into it.”

Anne didn’t have to look far to find someone who could perform the unique treatment. As part of her prac-tice, she performs laser hair removal services at Dean Wellness Institute, where its proprietor, Melissa Dean, MD, offers the Vampire Facial.

Dr. Dean was trained in the application of the Vampire Facial by its inventor, Charles Runels, MD, who also trademarked the procedure that uses a blood derivative called platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, to restore, shape and improve the tone and texture of the skin.

“It’s called Vampire Facial because we use your own blood products,” Dr. Dean says of the nonsurgical treatment. “� at blood product is the PRP, which is being used a lot in orthopedics now and even in some other areas of medicine.”

PRP therapy has been used to treat a variety of problems, including joint, tendon, ligament and

muscle injuries and even hair loss. It is considered e� ective because the PRP contains growth factors that naturally increase the body’s ability to heal itself.

When used as part of a skin treatment, PRP directs the body to produce new collagen that smoothes out the skin and gives it better tone and texture, including around the corners of the eyes and mouth, where it erases � ne lines and wrinkles.

Three-Step ProcessDuring the Vampire Facial, PRP therapy is performed as part of the second step of a three-step process that begins with the application of a numbing cream to the customer’s face. While the numbing cream takes e� ect, the PRP is collected.

“While the person is numbing, we draw a little bit of blood from their arm, about two teaspoons worth,” Dr. Dean explains. “We then put that blood into a special machine called a centrifuge that separates the PRP from the red blood cells.”

During the third step of the procedure, the PRP is placed in a syringe that is used to apply the PRP directly to the face while the technician uses a hand-held, pen-shaped microneedling device to inject small microtraumas to the skin.

� e feeling one gets from the injections made by the sterilized microneedling device has often been likened to that of someone pressing sandpaper onto the skin, but some customers with more sensitive skin may experience a more intense feeling.

“It sounds kind of gruesome when you’re talking about needles to the face, but these are very tiny micronee-dles, a dozen of them on a cartridge about a half-inch in diameter, and the numbing cream makes it easy to tolerate the microtraumas they create,” Dr. Dean adds.

� e administration of the PRP and its growth fac-tors to the trauma areas activates the stem cells that are already in the skin. � is sparks a healthy rejuvenation of the skin that makes it softer and leaves it looking clearer and younger.

“� e other thing we do during this step is divide the face up into areas,” Dr. Dean reveals. “� e technician will do the microneedling in one area of the face and then move on to another area, apply the PRP and do the microneedling to that area.

“She’ll do that until she’s done with the whole face, but we can also do the neck or upper chest area. When we’re done, we just let the patient sit comfortably for a few minutes before we apply some aftercare products.”

Lunchtime ProcedureA Vampire Facial takes about 45 minutes to an hour to com-plete, and little to no downtime is required for recovery. Dr. Dean says that most patients can immediately return to their normal, daily activities.

“� at’s why we refer to the Vampire Facial as a lunchtime procedure,” Dr. Dean notes. “You can get it done during your lunchtime, put on a little makeup and go right back to work, and no one will even know you had anything done.”

Anne’s description of the pro-cedure matches Dr. Dean’s. She says her Vampire Facial was “painless,” took about an hour to complete and with the exception of “some redness,” left her face looking relatively normal immediately afterward.

“And that redness goes away pretty fast,” Anne reports. “By the next day for sure, you really can’t tell you had anything done at all. And it really is painless. � e numbing cream works really well, so it’s not a big deal at all in terms of discomfort.

“� e best thing, of course, is that the results are really amazing. I could

de� nitely tell a di� erence in the overall texture of my skin, the tightness and how it evened out the color of it. I was really pleased, and I had just one treatment.

“� e recommendation is that you get three done over the course of a few months, but one will make a big di� erence, which is why I de� nitely recommend it. I know a lot of people are doing it now because they’re getting great results.

“And, of course, I recommend that they get it done by Dr. Dean. She’s a great person, an amazing wellness doctor, and she always tries to do things naturally � rst. I think that’s why patients love her so much and why they always come back to her.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo courtesy of Anne Harrell. Stock photo

from Pixabay. mkb

Indian River County Edition | Winter 2019 | Florida Health Care News | Page 11FaCIal aesthetICs

Patricia has � nally been

relieved of her longstanding

leg pain

Patricia Alatia

PRANAY T. RAMDEV, MD, FACS

Family FeudAdvanced treatment option relieves

longstanding leg pain

Please visit www.VIVAMyVeins.com for more information

Pranay T. Ramdev, MD, FACS, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is board certi� ed by the National Board of Medical Examiners – Parts I, II, III, and by the American Board of Surgery,

with a certi� cate of added quali� cation in vascu-lar surgery. He earned his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH and served � ve years of general surgery residency at the University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital. Dr. Ramdev went on to complete a fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at Harvard University in Boston. Following his fellowship, he joined the faculty at the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Ramdev has been practicing vascular surgery for more than 16 years.

Free Screenings available to patients who may have

varicose veins or spider veins

T he color of your eyes, the shape of your nose and the depth of your hairline are not the only characteristics you

can inherit from your parents. Certain ailments or medical conditions can be inherited as well, and Patricia Alatia is proof that varicose veins are one of them.

“My grandmother had varicose veins, and I’m sure her mother and her grandmother had them as well,” Patricia relates. “Even my daughter has them now, so it’s definitely something that runs in my family.”

Patricia’s run with the swollen, ropey and often painful malady has been going on for years. And for years she put off doing anything about it. � en, a little more than a year ago, one particularly nasty and painful varicose vein forced her hand.

“It was on the front of my right leg,” Patricia explains. “It hurt just to stand, and the pain was like a stinging feeling. When the pain started to get worse and constant, I went to see my primary care physician, who gave me a referral.”

The referral Patricia, 80, received was for Vascular Interventional & Vein Associates. That’s where she met the institute’s founder and president, Pranay T. Ramdev, MD, a board-certi� ed and fellowship-trained vascular surgeon.

“Patricia is quite typical of the patients we see with varicose veins,” Dr. Ramdev informs. “She came to us complaining about how bad these thick, bulging veins looked and that they hurt her a lot, which is very symptomatic of the problem.

“Varicose veins can occur in the arms or other areas, such as the abdominal wall, but we mostly see them in the legs. And they are much more common in women than they are in men, especially women who have worked in a standing profession.

“Teachers, nurses, chefs, bakers, or police o� cers walking a beat are among those most prone to varicose veins. Also, women who have been pregnant and

Dr. Ramdev welcomes all calls regarding this article as well as other topics related to vascular issues. To schedule your varicose vein or spider vein screening, call or visit one of his o� ces:

Vero Beach th Place

Suite (772) 567-8482

Fort Pierce Nebraska Avenue

Suite D(772) 801-2108

those with a family history of them tend to have a predisposition to developing these varices.”

Micro Over MacroPatricia’s family history is filled with women who had little choice but to su� er through the pain and discomfort caused by varicose veins because the only treatment for them back then was what Dr. Ramdev refers to as “fairly major” surgery.

“� e procedure was called vein strip-ping, and it was always done in a hospital under general anesthesia,” Dr. Ramdev educates. “� e doctor would make a large incision in the leg and forcibly remove the vein, which often left large scars.

“The technology has changed tremendously in recent years, however, and now we can remove the veins right here in our o� ce through a procedure in which the doctor makes a micro incision that is so small, you don’t even need sutures to close it.

“� e procedure is called a microphle-bectomy, and through that little incision, we remove the enlarged veins, called perforator veins, and tie o� the connections so that there’s no more � ow into them.”

In addition to microphlebectomy, Dr. Ramdev also offers VenaSeal™ as a treatment option for varicose veins. Recently approved by the FDA, VenaSeal uses a medical glue that’s used to seal the defective vein.

Considered the most innovative approach yet for the treatment of vari-cose veins, the VenaSeal system allows doctors to treat the problem with just one small incision into the vein, thus relieving the patient of the need for multiple needle sticks.

“With most of these vein proce-dures, you need to inject several areas,’’ Dr. Ramdev explains. “With this treat-ment, you can reduce the number of injections from eight or nine to one and still get great results closing the vein. I think that is where treatment for these veins is going and right now, I’m the only doctor in the area trained on this.”

After hearing Dr. Ramdev explain all the advancements that have been made in the treatment of varicose veins, Patricia agreed to have a microphlebectomy performed on the painful, unsightly vein on her right leg.

The procedure, which took less than an hour to complete, worked won-ders. Patricia says her pain disappeared immediately, and after a couple of weeks of healing, her legs looked better than they had in years.

� at microphlebectomy would not, however, be the last procedure she would require on that leg.

“One of the problems with varicose veins is that some people have to keep on � ghting them,” Dr. Ramdev notes. “Depending on where the varicosities are, additional varicosities can develop. � at’s what happened with Patricia.”

About 18 months after she was treated for that bothersome vein in the front of her right leg, Patricia was back in Dr. Ramdev’s o� ce asking if the same treatment would rid her of a second such vein that suddenly appeared on the outside of the same leg.

“� is one hurt more than the � rst one did,” Patricia relates. “� e pain was constant. Whenever I would stand, it hurt the whole time I was on my feet. And the longer I stood, the more intense the pain got. At least I knew exactly where to go for help with this one.”

After another brief consultation with Dr. Ramdev, Patricia agreed to undergo a second microphlebectomy. She opted for that procedure again in part because it is one of the easiest and most e� ective she’s ever sat through.

Comfortable and Convenient“It’s all done on an outpatient basis right there in the doctor’s o� ce, which makes it very convenient,” Patricia explains. “And they didn’t even have to put me to sleep or anything. It was quick and painless.

“I couldn’t really see what they were doing when they were actually removing the veins, but when they were done, they put these little BAND-AID®s on me, and I was out of there within an hour, I’d say.”

Patricia says the two procedures brought her immediate relief from her pain, and adds that she suffered no complications from them. She also likes that the small incisions will not leave her with any unsightly scars.

Dr. Ramdev says the immediate pain relief and aesthetic improvements are only two of the major bene� ts associated with having the microphlebectomy procedure. Another, he says, is the prevention of further serious medical problems.

“Unlike normal veins, varicose veins are very highly pressurized, which means a little scratch or nick can lead to bleeding,” Dr. Ramdev informs. “And if left untreated, varicose veins can lead to complications that include ulcers forming in the ankle region.

“� ose ulcers are far more di� cult to treat than the veins themselves, espe-cially with the technology that we have now, so there’s no need to su� er with the aches, pains and heaviness in the legs that typically come with them. We have solu-tions for those.”

Patricia is proof.“My legs feel great and look great,”

Patricia concludes. “I can’t thank Dr. Ramdev and his sta� enough for all that they did for me. � ey’re great. My only wish is that I would have gone to see them a lot sooner than I did.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Nerissa Johnson. mkb

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Page 12 | Florida Health Care News | Winter 2019 | Indian River County Edition VasCular surgery