JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

The journey to a healthy heart begins with a single step. Village Heart and Vein Center’s newest cardiologist will ensure patients start off on the right foot.

The human circulatory system is the the world’s most complex highway. It’s a crisscrossing roadmap with streets of all sizes, from major expressways such as arteries and veins to smaller surface streets in the form of capillaries. And just as highways get you where you need to go, your blood flows through this system to provide vital nutrients you can’t live without. Blood, like life, is made for the journey.

But that journey isn’t always easy cruising. Unexpected things happen along the way. Traffic accidents result in roadblocks that trap you and thousands of other travelers behind the pileup. A blocked vein or artery may be life- threatening and require immediate medical attention. Complications happen, and are as much a part of any journey as the wind in your hair.

That’s why Village Heart and Vein Center is equipped to handle any roadblock that can happen in the body. An experienced team of cardiologists treat problems that arise not only in your heart, not only in major arteries, but throughout your entire cardiovascular system. Through expertise and comprehensive care, they guide each patient through the most important journey of all: The journey toward better health.

MEET DR. TAMPIRA

When Dr. Georg Couturier began searching for an interventional cardiologist to aid his growing practice, he didn’t have to look very far. He knew in his heart that longtime colleague and friend Dr. Saroj Tampira would be the perfect fit at Village Heart and Vein Center. Dr. Tampira’s extensive, specialized experience treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) makes an excellent addition to the practice’s already-comprehensive list of services.

“I’m really glad I have the opportunity to serve residents of The Villages and surrounding areas,” says Dr. Tampira, who joined the practice in July 2017. “My goal is to develop meaningful relationships with them and help them get back to enjoying life.”

Dr. Tampira is no stranger to the trials and rewards of a long journey. His own journey began when he moved to the United States from Thailand in 1973. He attended medical school at the University of Louisville, where he also competed a residency in Internal Medicine. He later completed fellowship training in cardiology at Tulane University, a private school in New Orleans.

“I can perform difficult cases such as complete long blockages, severe calcification, or blockages below the knee,” he says. “I’ve also helped patients who have been to other interventionists and continued to have problems.”

The two doctors first crossed paths in 2003 when Dr. Tampira recruited Dr. Couturier, coincidentally, to join his own cardiology practice in New Orleans. They worked together for three years before Hurricane Katrina destroyed the office and forced both doctors to journey to central Florida.

To say Dr. Tampira is thrilled to reunite with Dr. Couturier would be an understatement.

“We’re good friends, and we enjoy working together,” Dr. Tampira says. “He’s an excellent cardiologist who always has a patient’s best interest at heart. We share the same philosophy in doing what is right for the patient, and nothing makes us happier than seeing patients get well.”

Since he began practicing in 1978, Dr. Tampira has helped countless patients on their journeys to recovery from cardiovascular disease and PAD. Peripheral artery disease occurs when a buildup of plaque causes the blood vessels that supply the legs and feet to become hardened and narrowed. Symptoms may include achiness, pain, ulcers, leg fatigue and gangrene.

“When I first started practicing, there was no training in opening leg blockages,” Dr. Tampira says.

When PAD treatments were first introduced, Dr. Tampira saw the potential. He began attending cardiology conferences and seminars, and soon learned how to effectively open blockages using interventions such as balloon angioplasty and stents.

“I received training from the ground up and have seen many breakthroughs over the years,” he says.

One of those treatments is laser therapy, where a catheter emits highenergy light that vaporizes plaque and opens up blockages. Another treatment uses a Roto-Rooter, a drill that shreds plaque around the vessel. Dr.

Tampira performs both as outpatient procedures, allowing patients to go home on the same day rather than enduring a multi-day hospital stay.

“As opposed to surgery, these procedures allow patients to enjoy less blood loss and a much faster recovery time,” he says. “My motivation throughout my career is to keep abreast of new techniques so I can deliver the best results possible to my patients. Blockages below the knee are challenging because it involves small blood vessels and longer blockages. I am very experienced in treating those types of blockages also.”

Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than the next five leading causes of death combined, according to the American Heart Association. The road to recovery can be long. But it’s comforting to know that Village Heart and Vein Center combines the newest technologies, advanced expertise, and personalized attention that patients demand and deserve.

No matter what obstacles face you on your journey to health, the team of physicians, physician assistants, and advanced registered nurse practitioners possess the skill and knowledge to ensure any cardiovascular complication is thoroughly examined, completely understood, and successfully resolved.

Village Heart and Vein Center is located at 8575 NE 138th Lane in Lady Lake. Call 352.674.2080 or visit

ABOUT OUR PRACTICE:

The focus of our practice is to provide the very best surgical care available to patients. We are committed to achieving this goal through continuing education and training in most current robotic and laparoscopic techniques. It is our belief that all patients deserve the best medical care available. We provide the most advanced, compassionate surgical care that has helped thousands live longer, healthier, happier lives.

For more information:

WELCOME TO A

WELCOME TO A