winter 2010
Connection a publication of southside regional medical center
Don’t be sidelined! Our sports medicine team delivers
Help for slowhealing wounds Women: Live life! SRMC can keep you dry
Brown-bag it for better health
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Healing wounds SRMC lends a helping hand By Yorckay C. Ishizawar, M.D. General Surgery
H
ave you ever worried about a sore that wouldn’t go away or marveled at your body’s power to repair a scar? Healing after illness or injury is a complex process, and chronic diseases or conditions can compromise your body’s restorative capabilities. Wounds not only diminish one’s quality of life but also raise the risk of infection and complications. For this reason, wound care is critical to disease management and surgical recovery. About 5 million Americans suffer from non- or slowhealing chronic wounds, which are most often found in older adults, bedridden patients and individuals who suffer from common circulation and skin diseases such as diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD). One-third of people with diabetes have lower-extremity wounds or PAD, which increase the likelihood of foot problems and amputation. Other conditions that can lead to slow-healing wounds include traumatic injury, complications after surgery, congestive heart failure, lymphedema and compromised immune systems.
other non-healing wounds. Many of these wounds become problematic due to limited blood flow in the area. Wound care treatment plans include transcutaneous oxygen pressure measurement, supportive compressed dressing changes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and wound debridément (removal of dead or damaged tissue). These treatments differ from the standard patient care after surgery or during chronic disease treatment because they involve specialized therapies administered with other medical or surgical treatments for the skin condition. They may include special dressings or wraps, bioengineered tissue substitutes or hyperbaric oxygen therapy to invigorate oxygen-starved tissues. A patient’s physician generally refers a patient to a wound care team or treatment center where specialists evaluate the wound and review the patient’s health and medical history. The team then develops a custom treatment program and remains part of the patient’s medical treatment with the primary care physician. Once the wound is healed, follow-up care and treatment for the condition that originally caused the wound are important.
About the author
Y
orckay C. Ishizawar, M.D., wound care specialist and medical director for the SRMC Wound Healing Center, is a general surgeon with Southside Surgical Specialists, located at 211 Temple Ave. in Colonial Heights.
Th e Wo u nd H e ali n g Ce n t e r Many hospitals have specialists trained in advanced therapies that help speed healing and rebuild skin integrity. At Southside Regional Medical Center’s (SRMC) Wound Healing Center, physicians have experience with chronic wounds such as diabetic skin sores, pressure sores, persistent skin irritations, vessel disease wounds, surgery wound breakdown, traumatic wounds, burns, venous insufficiency, radiation injuries, spinal injury wounds and
Start healing!
I
mprove your life by calling the SRMC Wound Healing Center at (804) 765-5445 or visiting our Web site at
www.srmconline.com or the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org. 70srm
Winter 2010
Attention, athletes and weekend warriors! Sports medicine team offers unique approach
E
ach year, millions of athletes are injured as a result of a sports-related activity. Keeping athletes and “weekend warriors” healthy and active is the goal of Southside Regional Medical Center’s (SRMC) new sports medicine program. Launched in September for athletes of all ages and skill levels, the comprehensive program specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of sports-related injuries for children, teens and adults.
Why w e s t a nd o u t SRMC’s sports medicine program includes six specially trained orthopaedic surgeons who understand the unique challenges of healing sports-related injuries. Just as important, they know the importance of achieving optimum performance. “We’re excited about offering this program to the community,” says Vivek Sharma, M.D., of Colonial Orthopaedics. “We believe participation in sports and
Ho w d o we do it? Using advanced diagnostic tools and minimally invasive surgical techniques, the SRMC sports medicine team provides performance evaluations, surgery, rehab and on-the-field support for competitive sports. “Each of us completed a fellowship in sports medicine to enable us to best serve our patient athletes,” says orthopaedic surgeon Mark Kavanagh, M.D., of Southside Orthopaedic Specialists. “Treating an ankle injury for an older patient who has taken a fall is totally different from treating a football player who has suffered a nasty injury on the field. The treatment is different, the rehab is different and the recovery can be quite different.” SRMC’s sports medicine team would like to see fewer injuries suffered by athletes at any competitive level. “By providing the community with patient education and outreach programs, we feel we can contribute to the reduction of serious injury,” says SRMC’s Josie McMahon, licensed athletic trainer at Virginia State University (VSU). “Whether you play for your school or an organized community league or just want to improve your individual workout performance, SRMC’s sports medicine program would like to play a role in getting you back in the game when injuries occur.”
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Licensed athletic trainer Jason Doctor (right) performs a VMS electrical stimulation on VSU athlete Leonard Johnson.
recreational activities leads to better health and physical fitness.” The SRMC program also places certified athletic trainers on area high school and college campuses to augment the school’s athletic staff. Working directly with student athletes, the trainer provides specific instruction about how to improve performance and technique, while avoiding injuries. Under the partnership, SRMC trainers and physicians are available to school coaching staff and athletes’ parents to explain sports-related injuries and treatment options. Should physical therapy/rehabilitation be needed, Southside Rehabilitative Services, located in Colonial Heights and Petersburg, can provide personalized treatment to help the athlete regain strength and endurance.
Winter 2010
Licensed athletic trainer Josie McMahon provides stretching exercises for VSU football player Alfred Ngauja. 70srm
meet our team
A message from the CEO
Manjit Dhillon, M.D. Colonial Orthopaedics 131 Jennick Drive Colonial Heights (804) 526-5888 Mark Kavanagh, M.D. Southside Orthopaedic Specialists 436 Clairmont Court, Suite 104 Colonial Heights (804) 504-4650
Keeping you healthy
B
y the time you receive this issue of Health Connection, we’ll be well into the flu sea-
son. With the information we received this past fall from the Centers for Disease Control and
Timothy Marqueen, M.D.
Prevention and the Virginia
Colonial Orthopaedics 131 Jennick Drive Colonial Heights (804) 526-5888
Department of Health, communities across the country have braced for what could be the
Dave Fikse Chief Executive Officer
most challenging flu season in
Karanvir Prakash, M.D.
years. Given this scenario, I hope you and your
Colonial Orthopaedics 131 Jennick Drive Colonial Heights (804) 526-5888
family took advantage of both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 (“swine” flu) vaccine.
for all athletes Jesse Sandlin, M.D.
A few months ago, Southside Regional Medical
Southside Orthopaedic Specialists 436 Clairmont Court, Suite 104 Colonial Heights (804) 504-4650
Center launched a sports medicine program for athletes of all ages. This wonderful program provides both the expertise of orthopaedic specialists and licensed certified athletic
Vivek Sharma, M.D.
trainers to area schools. If you’re associated
Colonial Orthopaedics 131 Jennick Drive Colonial Heights (804) 526-5888
with a sports program in your community and would like to tap into the wealth of experience that our sports medicine team members bring to the area, please don’t hesitate to call them. Read more about the program on these
Stay off the sidelines!
T
Have a wonderful, healthy winter season.
o stay active with SRMC’s sports medicine team or to make an appointment with our orthopaedic surgeons,
call Colonial Orthopaedics at (804) 526-5888 or Southside
Orthopaedic Specialists at (804) 504-4650. 70srm
two pages.
Sincerely,
Dave Fikse
Chief Executive Officer Southside Regional Medical Center
Winter 2010
Don’t suffer in silence Get help with bladder control
A Alan Bigley, M.D. Urologist
Peter Han, M.D. Urologist
ccording to experts, at least half of the estimated 13 million sufferers of incontinence—the involuntary loss of urine— suffer in silence because they’re too embarrassed to get help. Yet most of the time, incontinence can be improved, if not cured, with proper treatment. “Women shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk to their physician about this issue,” says Southside Regional Medical Center (SRMC) urologist Peter Han, M.D. “It’s a common problem—one that I see almost daily in my practice—and it can be easily diagnosed and treated.” The diagnosis can be as simple as a urinary tract infection or as complex as mixed urinary incontinence, which has many symptoms, causes and treatments.
Wh at a r e th e c a u s e s ? Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common type of bladder control problem in women. It’s characterized by uncontrollable leakage of urine with increased
Take control
A
lan Bigley, M.D., and Peter Han, M.D., offer a variety of options for treating incontinence in women.
Both physicians are board certified and their practice, Southside Urology Associates, is conveniently located at 430 Clairmont Court, Suite 214, in Colonial Heights. If you suffer from this common problem, help is just a phone call away. For more information or to make an appointment, call (804) 520-5580 today! 10 Winter 2010
At least half of the estimated 13 million sufferers of incontinence suffer in silence because they’re too embarrassed to get help. abdominal pressure. SUI is triggered by everyday occurrences that place stress on the bladder, such as sneezing, coughing, laughing and lifting. SUI is the most common type of incontinence and accounts for well over half of all cases of women’s incontinence. Aging, medical conditions, infections, medications, obesity, pregnancy and childbirth are all common causes of SUI.
W hat are t he treatment options? The key to treatment is identifying the specific type of incontinence that a woman is experiencing through an in-depth medical interview and thorough physical exam. Fortunately, both nonsurgical and minimally invasive surgical treatment options are available at SRMC. Testing can determine exactly what’s causing the leakage and what treatment plan is right for you. Treatments may include medication, physical therapy or minimally invasive outpatient surgery. 70srm
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Health Connection is published as a community service of Southside Regional Medical Center. There is no fee to subscribe. The information contained in this publication is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your health care provider. Copyright Š 2010 Southside Regional Medical Center Winter 2010
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