1. health news from
Medical Center
Fall 2006
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
Lakewood Ranch
Spotlight on:
• How Heart Disease Signs
Differ in Women
• New Hope for Breast Cancer
• Could You Have Osteoporosis?
Women’s
Health Issue
2. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center2 Fall 2006
Wellness Expo
Sat., Oct. 7
LWRMC, Main Lobby
*See page 6 for more info
A Letter From the CEO
Making a Good Thing Even Better
Services and Programs Grow to Meet Your Needs
Dear Neighbors,
T
his issue of Health News
features common conditions
that affect women and some
of the innovative services we offer to
treat those conditions.Also, it provides
information about the high-quality care
and services — available right in our
community — that you want and need.
Here at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC),
hospital staff continually assess the health needs of local
residents and develop new clinical programs to respond to those
needs. For example, we opened a new cardiovascular suite
this year, so residents with cardiac and vascular conditions can
receive advanced care close to home. Other new services —
including our Total Joint and Spine Surgery programs — have
been very successful.The number of patients who choose to
undergo joint replacement surgery at LWRMC has increased
significantly since the Total Joint Program opened last fall.
Our efforts to serve you go beyond construction projects and
expanding services. Providing high-quality care always has been
our top priority, and we’re proud of the level of service we offer
you and your family.
But we want to offer you even better service. So, we created a
new initiative that helps us provide safer and more effective care.
As part of this initiative, we review all our processes — from
the way we transfer patients between units to the discharge
instructions we provide — to identify ways we can streamline
and improve the care you receive at LWRMC.
You can feel confident and comfortable when you choose
LWRMC.You’ll have access to a broad array of advanced
services.You’ll receive that care from well-trained and highly
skilled doctors, nurses and ancillary personnel who go the extra
mile to give you the best care possible.And you’ll be treated
with the dignity, respect and compassion you deserve.
Please call us today, or visit the hospital’s Web site
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com to learn more
about all we have to offer.
Sincerely,
Lynn M. Mergen
CEO/Managing Director
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Lynn M. Mergen
CEO/Managing Director
3. Fall 2006 3
Women and Heart Disease:
Information That May
Save Your Life
W
hen it comes to heart attacks, women may be
caught off guard — even those who take good
care of their health. That’s because women often
don’t experience the “classic” crushing chest pain that typically
signals heart attacks in men.
Instead, women may “feel different.”They may develop
unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, random chest pain,
anxiety, indigestion, dizziness, cold sweats and other subtle
symptoms. Surprisingly, these signs may start up to a month
before they suffer heart attacks.
Martin C. Aldrich, MD, FACC
Aldrich Cardiovascular Institute
7978 Cooper Creek Blvd.,
Suite 105
Bradenton, FL 34201
941-359-8900
Erick E. Calderon, MD, FACC, FSCAI
HealthCare America
3501 Cortez Road West
Bradenton, FL 34210
941-752-2766
Get the Diagnostic Services You Need
You have risk factors for or symptoms of heart disease. Now what? As
part of a thorough evaluation, your doctor may recommend that you
have a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure. Fortunately, you
do not have to travel far to get advanced cardiac services.
At the new cardiovascular lab at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center,
diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures are performed using an
advanced imaging system.The system produces very high-resolution
3-dimensional images of the heart and arteries that supply blood to
the heart. It also reconstructs and rotates images, providing physicians
with more detailed information.
This high-tech tool can help your doctor make a timely and accurate
diagnosis so you can get the care you need as quickly as possible.
What Women Should Know
“Some women still have dangerous
misconceptions about heart disease,” says Erick
E. Calderon, MD, FACC, FSCAI, a cardiologist
with medical staff privileges at Lakewood
Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC). “Many
women aren’t aware that their heart attack
symptoms may differ from the more traditional
ones that men develop. Unfortunately, death
is the first symptom in some women.”
Since heart attack symptoms may be difficult
to recognize, it is important to take action now.
Here are some tips that may help you beat heart
disease — and even save your life:
• Talk with your doctor about your risk for
heart disease and what you need to do to
reduce that risk.
• Ask whether you should take aspirin to help
prevent the blood clots that cause most heart
attacks.
• Learn the signs of heart attacks in women.
• Seek emergency care right away if you suspect
that you are having a heart attack.
“Women shouldn’t ignore heart attack
symptoms,” says Martin C. Aldrich, MD, FACC,
a cardiologist with medical staff privileges at
LWRMC.“They should literally follow their
hearts: If they don’t feel right and they have
‘atypical’ symptoms, there’s a good chance
something may be wrong. It’s vital that they see a
doctor or a cardiologist for a cardiac evaluation.”
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
4. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center4 Fall 2006
E
veryone has occasional digestive problems. But
as many as one in five Americans has a condition
called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS
occurs when intestinal muscles contract abnormally. It
causes cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other
uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
“IBS is more common in women than it is in men,”
says Arun Khazanchi, MD, a gastroenterologist with
medical staff privileges at Lakewood Ranch Medical
Center and the Sarasota Center for Digestive Diseases.
“It’s not a life-threatening disease, but it can be a
life-altering condition.”
IBS is a mild inconvenience for some people. Others,
however, have debilitating symptoms that make it
difficult to work, travel or socialize.
The cause of IBS is uncertain. But some people who
have IBS find that symptoms worsen when they:
• Experience stress
• Eat large or high-fat meals
• Smoke
• Are menstruating
Treatment for IBS varies from person to person.
It includes stress management, diet modifications,
medication or a combination of these treatments. See
your doctor or a specialist if you have symptoms of
IBS.You’ll need a thorough evaluation to rule out more
serious diseases that can cause similar symptoms.
“Because the cause of IBS is not known and no
curative therapy is available, IBS historically has been
managed symptomatically,”Dr. Khazanchi says.“Many
people find that their symptoms improve dramatically
with lifestyle changes or medications.The goal is to
improve the patient’s symptoms and overall quality
of life and, ideally, to prevent the suffering that
patients experience.”
Living With Irritable
Bowel Syndrome
Arun Khazanchi, MD
Sarasota Center for
Digestive Diseases
3325 S. Tamiami Trail
Suite 200
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-952-9223
New Procedure HelpsWomen
Overcome Incontinence
G. Bino Rucker, MD
Manatee Urology
4705 26th St. West
Suite B
Bradenton, FL 34207
941-752-1553
D
o everyday activities such as lifting, sneezing, coughing
— even laughing — trigger embarrassing accidents? If so,
you may have stress incontinence. A woman may develop
this condition when her urinary sphincter muscle, which controls
urine flow, becomes weakened or damaged, causing urine to leak
unexpectedly when pressure is put on the bladder.
Conservative treatments help a small percentage of women.
But since stress incontinence is caused by an anatomical defect,
many women with severe symptoms need surgery. Fortunately,
surgeons with staff privileges at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
(LWRMC) perform a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that
may help you overcome incontinence.
“The tape sling procedure is one of the most successful
procedures available in medicine,” says G. Bino Rucker, MD, a
urologist with medical staff privileges at LWRMC. “It reduces
or eliminates symptoms in more than nine out of 10 women.”
During the procedure, a doctor uses a needle to pass a special
tape along the bladder. The ends of the tape are then tied together
to create a “hammock” that supports the sphincter muscle and
prevents leakage.
“It’s important for women to discuss urinary symptoms with
their doctors,” Dr. Rucker says. “There are simple and effective
treatment options
that can relieve their
symptoms, so they
can enjoy normal
activities again.”
5. Beating Breast Cancer:
New Treatments Mean New Hope
Know Your Risk
Are you at risk for breast cancer? Take
a quick test and find out. Simply visit
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
and click on Health Information in the left
column. Then, click on Risk Assessments
in the left column under Interactive
Tools and select Breast Cancer
Risk Assessment.
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
Scott A. Tetreault, MD
Florida Cancer Specialists
5969 Cattle Ridge Blvd.,
Suite 102
Sarasota, FL 34232
941-377-9993
T
he outlook for women with breast
cancer has never been better. New
breast cancer medications are saving
or prolonging the lives of many women
battling the disease.
Women with early stage cancer confined
to the breast and lymph nodes typically
undergo surgery to remove the cancer.
Then they have chemotherapy and take the
hormonal medication tamoxifen to target
the microscopic cancer cells that may
remain after surgery.
Recent studies, however, show that a newer
medication, called Herceptin®
, dramatically
reduces recurrences in women who have the
HER2/neu gene.This gene produces a protein
that seems to increase the risk of recurrences.
“Herceptin®
is a major step forward
for many women,” says Scott A. Tetreault,
MD, a medical oncologist with medical
staff privileges at Lakewood Ranch
Medical Center (LWRMC). “It’s the
greatest improvement we’ve ever seen in
adjuvant — or follow-up — therapy.”
Another new medication, called Avastin®
,
is prolonging the lives of many women whose
breast cancer has spread beyond the breast
and lymph nodes to other areas of the body.
Avastin®
does not attack cancer directly.
Instead, it destroys the vessels that supply
tumors with the blood and nutrients they
need to grow.
“No one treatment is right for all women,”
Dr.Tetreault says.“These medications
represent the first wave of new targeted
breast cancer treatment strategies. Now we’re
better able to tailor each woman’s treatment
to her specific cancer. Even women whose
cancers aren’t yet curable are living longer,
and the quality of their lives is better.”
Compassionate Care
for Women
Women’s Healthcare
Services at
Lakewood Ranch
Medical Center
At Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
we offer women’s healthcare services for
all stages of your life. Using advanced
technology, our experienced medical team
provides:
Gynecological Treatment including
endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic
inflammatory disease and pelvic prolapse.
Laparoscopic Surgery for minimally
invasive treatment of hysterectomy,
ovarian cyst removal and bladder repair.
Maternity and Newborn Care with
private, homelike labor-delivery-recovery
suites and a full spectrum of prenatal,
childbirth and parenting classes.
For more information on Women’s
Services at Lakewood Ranch Medical
Center, call 941-782-2229.
8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
Compassionate Car
for Women
Physicians are independent contractors
who are not agents or employees of
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
8330 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
Bradenton, FL 34202
www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.co
Women’s Healthcare Services at
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
At Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, we offer women’s
healthcare services for all stages of your life. Using
advanced technology, our experienced medical team
provides:
Gynecological Treatment including endometriosis, uterine
fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic prolapse.
Laparoscopic Surgery for minimally invasive treatment of
hysterectomy, ovarian cyst removal and bladder repair.
Maternity and Newborn Care with private, homelike
labor-delivery-recovery suites and a full spectrum of
prenatal, childbirth and parenting classes.
For more information on Women’s Services at Lakewood
Ranch Medical Center, call 941-782-2229.
Physicians are independent contractors
who are not agents or employees of Lake-
wood Ranch Medical Center.
Fall 2006 5
6. Don’t Forget to Strengthen Your Bones
D
octors have noticed a surge in the number of people
who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, a disease
that weakens bones and increases risk for fractures in
millions of Americans, most of them women.
“With the aging of the population, the increased use of
steroids and a decline in estrogen replacement therapy, more
people are developing osteoporosis,”says Suhail Khoury, MD,
PhD, an internist and physiologist with medical staff privileges
at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC).“Today,
osteoporosis affects more people than heart disease, stroke and
breast cancer combined.”
Help keep your bones strong by eating foods rich in
calcium and vitamin D, performing weight-bearing exercises
regularly and not smoking.Also, it is important to have
periodic screenings for osteoporosis, especially when you reach
menopause, a time when bone mass declines more rapidly.
“Detecting osteoporosis is crucial because 20 to 30 percent of
people who suffer osteoporosis-related hip fractures die within
one year,”Dr. Khoury says.“But osteoporosis is no longer the
price of getting older.There are new medications available that
can partially reverse bone loss and strengthen the bones. Even a
small increase in bone mass leads to a big decrease in the risk of
bone fracture.”
6 Fall 2006
Suhail Khoury, MD
Khoury Medical Institute
5805 Whitfield Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34243
941-359-3337
Join us Saturday, October 7, for LWRMC’s Health and Wellness
Expo — a fun and informative event with prizes, entertainment and
information to help keep your family healthy.
The Expo will feature:
▸ Free health screenings for adults and children — Get a “snapshot”of your family’s health.
We’ll offer screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index, osteoporosis,
and vision.
▸ Preventive health education for adults — Stay healthy with information on arthritis, skin
cancer, breast and prostate cancer, and osteoporosis.
▸ Tips to keep children safe — Learn about water safety, protecting children from the sun’s
harmful rays, accidental poisoning, medication safety and more.
▸ Fitness information — Find out if you’re in shape and learn how to prevent sports injuries.
A Florida Blood Services bloodmobile will be accepting donations at the Expo.
Date: Saturday, October 7
Time: 9 AM to Noon
Location: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Main Lobby
8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
For more information, please call Yvonne Stillpass,
Community Relations Coordinator at 941-782-2128.
Health Expo to Focus on Your Family’s Health
To find out more about osteoporosis, please visit our
Web site www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
and click on Health Informationon the left
and then the letter Oat the top of the page.
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Stay Cool This Year.
We’ve Moved Inside!
7. www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com
M
enstrual disorders. Uterine fibroids. Endometriosis. These
and other gynecological problems are an uncomfortable
fact of life for some women. Doctors may recommend
noninvasive therapies as the first line of treatment for these
disorders, but sometimes other treatments are necessary.
“Some women with certain gynecological conditions need
surgery,” says Aaron Sudbury, MD, an OB/GYN with medical
staff privileges at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC).
“Traditional open surgery, however, isn’t their only option. Newer
minimally invasive procedures are changing the way we treat many
gynecological disorders.”
That’s good news for women because these less invasive
procedures are safe, effective and easier on them.
Treatment Options
LWRMC offers several minimally invasive treatments that help women
with heavy menstrual bleeding avoid the lengthy and painful recoveries
associated with conventional hysterectomies.
During one procedure, doctors dilate the cervix and use an
innovative wand device that emits electrical energy, which destroys
the lining of the uterus. Another procedure uses balloon ablation
instruments to heat the lining of the uterus, which causes it to slough
off naturally.
“These procedures have a greater than 90 percent success rate,”
Dr. Sudbury says.“They reduce women’s menstrual bleeding to a
normal level or stop bleeding altogether.”
Minimally invasive treatment options for other gynecological
disorders also are available, including:
• Vaginal hysterectomies
• Laparoscopic procedures, including sterilization, removal of the
ovaries, drainage of ovarian abscesses and others
• Hysteroscopic procedures to diagnose gynecological conditions or
remove fibroids, polyps and tumors
“We have less invasive ways of treating almost any gynecological
disorder, including cancer,” Dr. Sudbury says.“Most women can go
home right after their procedures or within 23 hours. They usually can
return to work
and resume
normal activities
within days.”
We’ve Come a Long Way
Less Invasive Treatments for Common Gynecological Problems
Seeing Is Believing
You’re invited to tour The Women’s Center at
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center where our
experienced team of medical professionals can
provide you with the specialized care you need
at different stages of your life. Our staff offers
comprehensive services in:
▸ Obstetrics
▸ Labor and delivery
▸ Gynecology
▸ Urology
▸ Breast care
TheWomen's Center is equipped with
innovative technology designed to meet women’s
unique health needs. It features 12 large LDRP
(labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum) suites, two
operating rooms, six beds for medical/surgical
patients and four exam and triage rooms.
Come in for a visit and see why more women
are choosing The Women’s Center for many
of their healthcare needs. Please call
941-782-2229 to schedule a tour of
our facilities.
Aaron Sudbury, MD
300 Riverside Drive East
Suite 1700
Bradenton, FL 34208
941-745-5115
Fall 2006 7
