healthwatch october 2015

HealthWatchOctober 2015

Robotic Hysterectomy:New wave of surgical systems offers many benefits for women and surgeons...PAGE 2

Christmas Waistline:Keeping active is key to maintaining your pants size during the holidays...PAGE 12

Eye Fatigue:Learn how to relieve eyestrain to prevent

future problems PAGE 6

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Sunday, October 25, 2015 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes com

Robotic hysterectomy procedures offer many benefits for patients

BY ALANA [email protected]

Robotic systems are becoming a common part of surgical procedures, including for hys-terectomies.

Dr. Jason Bailey of Northeast Georgia Physicians Group routinely performs such hysterectomies. He’s done more than 250 procedures using a robotic surgical system, the daVinci system, and 60 single-site hyster-ectomies, a newer procedure using robotics that provides little to no scarring.

Bailey, who is certified by the American

Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as in Female Pelvic Medicine and Recon-structive Surgery, was the first gynecologist in North Georgia to perform the single-site hysterectomy, and the third in the state.

The daVinci Robot was first FDA approved in 2000. In addition to gynecologic surgery, it is used for urologic surgery, general surgery, gyn oncology and cardiothoracic surgery.

Northeast Georgia Medical center ac-quired a daVinci robot in 2008.

“ A robotic hysterectomy provides many benefits to the patient and the surgeon,” Bai-ley said.

With more traditional, nonrobotic methods such as the abdominal hysterectomy — which Bailey said is still the most common route for removing the uterus in the U.S. — a moder-ately sized (approximately 12 centimeters) incision is made in the lower abdomen. It usually requires one to two night’s stay in the hospital and a recovery of four to six weeks.

The robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy provides better visibility of the anatomy, more range of motion with the wristed instru-ments, and easier movement inside the pel-vis, Bailey said.

Operative tubes (known as trocars) are

inserted through the patient’s abdomen and the daVinci’s robotic arms are attached to the trocars. A dual camera scope and surgical instruments are guided into the patient’s ab-domen and pelvis. The surgeon works at the operative console and high-definition screen, where those instruments are controlled.

After the anatomy is reviewed, the blood supply to the uterus is detached using the wristed instruments. A circular incision is made at the top of the vagina, where the uterus is then removed, said Bailey.

ERIN O. SMITH | The Times

Amy Brookins, a certified surgical technician, and Talia Butcher, a surgical technician, drape the patient cart of the da Vinci Surgical System before a single site hysterectomy at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville on Oct. 14.

■ Please see HYSTERECTOMY, 3

The vagina is closed from the inside with absorbable suture. The robotic arms are then disconnected and the trocars are removed and small (8 mm) skin incisions are closed with su-ture. If ovaries need to be removed, they can be taken out at the same time, Bailey added.

These advances allow the surgeon to oper-ate on wider range of challenging cases using more minimally invasive techniques.

For the patient, there is less motion against the abdominal wall, which can decrease pain in the area. In cases of larger, more painful uteri that traditionally had to be removed via open abdominal surgery, the robotic sur-gery can provide that minimally invasive ap-proach, Bailey said.

Additionally, the recovery time can be much quicker.

“Sixty to 70 percent of my hysterectomy pa-tients go home the same day and can be back to work as early as two weeks, though three weeks are recommended,” he said.

For surgeons, the robotic procedure pro-vides improved visibility and assessment of anatomy.

“I have almost full range of motion with my wrist ... about 270 degrees of motion, as op-posed to regular laparoscopic surgery, which had much more limited motions,” Bailey said.

The wristed instruments allow the surgeon to manage more technically difficult surger-ies, such as the large uterus, scar tissue, can-cer and endometriosis with precision and confidence, Bailey said.

“The ergonomically designed console al-lows the surgeon to perform prolonged and technically challenging surgeries with less fatigue,” he added.

And with the newer, single-site hysterec-tomy procedure, a single 1-inch incision is

made in the navel and all instruments are guided through the opening. The result is little to no scarring, with patients sometimes returning home the same day.

“They can be back to work as early as two to three weeks, and I’d say about 70 percent go home the same day of the procedure. They heal more quickly ... it’s one incision in between muscles rather than through the muscles,” Bailey said.

“I have patients that have come back to see me and I cannot see their scar.”

Aside from patients that choose to have elective hysterectomies, symptoms of prob-lems that may be resolved by a hysterectomy would include unrelenting pelvic pain; pain-ful menses; painful sex; unmanageably heavy periods; symptomatic uterine fibroids; uter-ine and/or pelvic prolapse; and persistently abnormal pap/cervical dysplasia.

Another noted benefit of the robotic hys-terectomy is the wide variety of patients that could be considered ideal candidates for the procedure.

“Patients that would’ve normally been very difficult to operate on are done more easily with the robot,” Bailey said.

“For (example), anyone needing a hyster-ectomy because of an enlarged fibroid uterus, painful heavy periods and might also have endometriosis in her pelvis, uterine prolapse and requires pelvic reconstruction surgery, scar tissue from previous cesarean sections or other surgeries, and the obese patient,” Bailey said.

Patients wanting to find out more infor-mation about their eligibility should call to schedule a consultation at Northeast Geor-gia Physicians Group, Lakeside OB/Gyn in Gainesville at 770-219-9300 or visit www.ngpg.org/lakeside-obgyn.

“A hysterectomy may be what is necessary for particular issues, but a thorough evalua-tion and review is necessary to determine this,” Bailey said. “Other treatment options may also be appropriate,” he added.

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HYSTERECTOMY ■ Continued from 2


Dr. Jason Bailey demonstrates how he performs a single site hysterectomy with the da Vinci Surgical System surgeon console at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville on Oct. 14.

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Be aware of sepsis dangerSepsis is a term I

have heard my entire nursing career, but it was never significant to me until the past three years. Now, sep-sis has become a close and personal demon that I, thankfully, have beaten twice.

Sepsis is the third-leading killer in the U.S., behind only heart disease and cancer. The Centers for Disease Control defines sepsis as “the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death.”

My first sepsis story started on Mother’s Day 2014. I am a diabetic, and, at that time, I had to wear an insulin pump. I noticed my pump site was red and hot, so I changed the pump site and called my practitioner for an antibiotic.

The site became redder and larger. I began

having severe dizziness, nausea, cold sweat and confusion. My colleagues immediately took me to the emergency room, where the doctor told me I had severe sepsis.

I, of all people, did not even comprehend that I had sepsis. I was admitted to the hos-pital and stayed for 11 days. The wound was cultured, and I was found to also have MRSA. I received several intravenous antibiotics, blood products and fluids. I had heart failure, anemia and several other related problems. I do not remember most of the time I was in the hospital. It took me about three months to fully recover.

My second episode of sepsis occurred in April 2015. I got a permanent pacemaker, and about three weeks later, my pacemaker pocket became very red and swollen. I went to the emergency room early and was ad-mitted again with severe sepsis. This time, I stayed in ICU for four days getting antibiotics and fluids. I was much sicker this time. The pacemaker had to be removed. I had a wound vacuum and was on intravenous antibiotics for seven weeks.

In both cases, the key to my survival was recognizing the symptoms early and taking quick action. The likelihood of dying of sep-sis increases 7.6 percent for every hour that passes without treatment.

Sepsis is an equal opportunity killer, claiming lives regardless of age, race, color or creed. There are those who are more sus-ceptible to sepsis including the very young, the very elderly, people with certain chronic diseases and people with altered immune sys-tems. Any type of infection can cause sepsis.

Everyone should have an advocate with them to clue caregivers to look for sepsis. In my job, I also stress the importance of vac-cinations including the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccines as part of the preven-tion of sepsis.

I am so thankful that I survived my epi-sodes of sepsis and can help others learn how dangerous this condition can be so we can save lives together.

Susan Irick is a nurse practitioner and disease manager for pneumonia and sepsis at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

SUSAN IRICK

‘... the key to my survival was recognizing the symptoms early and taking quick action. The likelihood of dying of sepsis increases 7.6 percent for every hour that passes without treatment.’


BY FRANK [email protected]

Ageism is defined as prejudice or discrimi-nation on the basis of a person’s age.

Dr. Marc Agronin wants us to stop discrimi-nating against ourselves.

A certified adult and geriatric psychia-trist and the author of acclaimed books about growing old, Agronin spoke recently at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce event, HealthSmart Interactive Health & Wellness Expo, which offered free health screenings and fresh perspectives on aging in today’s world.

Following the event, Agronin sat down with The Times to further expand upon his views on the topic.

“If you look at the way we define aging, it’s mostly based on decline, and people tend to look at the process as a negative and try and come up with ways to slow it down,” Agronin said. “My perspective is this: There’s a whole other side to aging, and it’s not bad. Learning about it and embracing it, we can really bal-ance out what we’re going through.”

A graduate of Harvard University, summa

cum laude and the Yale School of Medicine, Agronin completed his residency training in adult psychiatry at Harvard’s McLean Hos-pital then a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

Agronin said It’s true that with age comes wisdom, but it also offers other advantages.

“You have more experience, you have a more mature outlook and you’re able to bet-ter cope with adversity,” Agronin said. “In addition, we’ve seen and recognized and let go of a lot of attitudes and approaches from the past that don’t work anymore. It enables us to do amazing things.”

Added Agronin: “There are some amazing strengths that we can only gain through aging.”

A national expert in Alzheimer’s disease and other geriatric mental health issues, Agronin runs a memory center and an active clinical research program with a focus on Al-zheimer’s disease.

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BY HAILEY VAN [email protected]

Our bonds to technology may never die, but that undying love may be hurting our eyes if we’re not careful.

Computer vision syndrome, also known as eyestrain or eye fatigue, won’t cause any last-ing damage, but it’s not a problem you want to have.

The problem is mostly characterized by discomfort in the eyes after prolonged tech-nology use, according to Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Dr. Arif Patni.

Not only teens are affected by eye strain or computer vision syndrome, but they are the most likely to experience discomfort due to their unusual amount of technology exposure.

But they’re in luck according to Patni, be-cause younger eyes have a quicker recovery time and less chance of causing any lasting damage to their eyes.

“If people just reduce their time at the computer and do other things, it improves,” Patni said.

Teens aren’t the only ones who use their fair amount of computer and technology time.

“They say that about 50 million Ameri-cans are affected by this,” Patni said. “It leads to about 10 million visits to eye doc-tors annually.”

Approximately 60 to 90 percent of com-puter workers in general report having some kind of eyestrain problems, according to TIME.com. Sometimes it’s an unavoidable evil if you have to use a computer or other technology during your work shift.

If that situation applies to you and if you feel like you’re suffering from eyestrain, there are a few things you can do. Patni offers these tips for people who may be already suffering from eyestrain or eye fatigue: Taking a break for a few seconds every hour will help. He also recommends the 20-20-20 rule. If you’re sitting at a desk, look away from your computer for 20 sec-onds every 20 minutes at something that is 20 feet away.

It’s not only eye-related problems that are associated with computer vision syndrome.

“It also affects the muscles of the neck and the head muscles,” Patni said. “People get headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain.”

Keeping a straighter posture might help

relieve some of this discomfort that being in front of a computer all day can create.

People who suffer from migraines may be more prone to eyestrain-related headaches with prolonged exposure to technology. If you already have weakened or diseased eyes, ar-thritis or get headaches frequently, eyestrain can exacerbate your problems.

Brittney Taylor plays on her iPhone 6 plus at least 15 hours a day, she estimates. The 18-year-old claims that her use of technology doesn’t affect her eyesight.

However, she takes preventative measures in order to reduce the negative affect on her eyes when she’s using her laptop.

“I turn (the brightness) down so I can watch TV while I’m on my laptop,” Taylor said.

Mackenzie Smith uses her iPhone 6 at least 10 hours a day, if not more. But Smith doesn’t think her eyesight is affected by her technol-ogy use.

Yet Smith, 17, gets frequent headaches and has developed a sensitivity to bright lights, she says, due to the amount of time she spends on the computer. But she tries to fight this problem by turning her brightness down on her phone.

But for some, it’s not as easy as just turning off your computer or turning the brightness down for a few hours.

“Eyestrain is caused by a lot of different things,” Patni said.

It can be caused by driving long distances or not getting enough rest, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website, mayoclinic.org.

To your eyes, reading on a computer is dif-ferent than reading a book.

“The characters of a computer screen are different from what you see in a printed page, like in a book,” Patni said.

This is because the words on a computer screen don’t have well-defined edges.

Eye fatigue is another word for the same problem, yet there is no difference between eyestrain and eye fatigue, Patni said. He has kids of his own and he restricts their com-puter exposure to two hours at a time.

Computer vision syndrome and eyestrain can affect your brain function as well. Blink-ing comes naturally to us and normally we blink 12-16 times per minute. But when we are on a computer, we only blink five to six

■ Please see eyestrain, 7

Understanding and relieving eyestrain


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times per minute.“Research has shown that when people

use a computer, blink rate is reduced,” Patni said.

When you’re not blinking regularly, your eyes can dry out.

“When people get dry eyes, absolutely, their vision is going to get all blurry,” Patni said.

But eyestrain and computer vision syn-drome aren’t going to cause any permanent damage to your eyes.

“Eyestrain by itself is a temporary issue,” Patni said. “Generally, we don’t think this is a long-term problem.”

However, it could be a symptom of an un-derlying issue, so Patni suggests you visit an eye doctor if you think you need to, but there’s usually no reason to panic.

If needed, an eye doctor may provide a pair of glasses with an anti-reflective coat-ing, which can be purchased on websites like Gunnars.com that specialize in such eyewear.

You may also need a bottle of moisturiz-ing eye drops, which you can pick up from any pharmacy. Washing eyes frequently also helps.


Sarah Grace Couvillion, 16, uses her phone to answer questions streaming on the board in her AP Language class at Gainesville High School on Sept. 11. Phones have become a valuable learning tool in the classroom.

EyESTRaIN ■ Continued from 6


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BY ELISE [email protected]

For many children who make the decision to get braces, two days stand out: the day you get them and the day you get them off.

After two years, 17-year-old Kayli Johnson didn’t mind driving to the Wilson Orthodon-tics office in Gainesville to have them re-moved, instead of waiting for a later date at her local Flowery Branch location.

After the braces were removed, Johnson was all smiles as she inspected her teeth from every angle.

“I can’t believe how I looked then, and then now. It was definitely worth it,” John-son said.

With older siblings who had gone through the process and hearing stories, she was like many who were hesitant.

“They weren’t as bad as I thought they would be. Everyone made them seem a lot worse than they actually were,” Johnson said, laughing.

Advertised by the big green 7-Up buttons Dr. Ron Wilson and the rest of the staff at Wil-son Orthodontics wear, the American Asso-

ciation of Orthodontics recommends the first exam at age 7. Wilson said most children will not need orthodontic treatment until age 12 or 13, but in some cases early treatment can help avoid larger problems down the road.

Braces are usually recommended as the treatment for crowded teeth, crooked or bucked teeth, those with either overbites or underbites, and in some cases, the treatment of a variety of jaw problems.

Cherryl Robbins’ daughter, Riley, who is now 9 years old, was part of that program.

“I didn’t expect to have to put braces on her,” said Robbins of Gainesville. “But her teeth were bucked, and (Wilson) said that they could be easily damaged so we went ahead and did it.”

With six months left, Wilson was able to straighten out Riley’s teeth and close the gap that was forming, hopefully making it easier for her to talk and pronounce words as her vocabulary continues to grow.

“(Her teeth) weren’t horribly awful, but she has a beautiful face and she needs a beautiful smile to go with it,” Robbins said. Because Riley still has a few baby teeth, the

■ Please see braces, 11

erIN O. sMITH | The Times

Morgan Stewart, 15, gets an X-ray done at Wilson Orthodontics on Oct. 14. Stewart came into the orthodontist to have a retainer check.

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split decision option will let her wear the braces for a year, then Wilson will reevalu-ate and go from there.

“She went online when he first talked to her about the braces, and she read every-thing,” Robbins said. “She’s done well with it and she’s been very good about brushing her teeth and taking care of them.”

She may not have expected such a large expense at such a young age, Robbins said she has been pleased with the results every step of the way.

Wilson said that just as the length of time an individual needs for treatment, ranging from 6 months to 30, the cost of each treat-ment varies. Sometimes it runs $1,200, but can be up to $6,500.

“There’s a wide range. It depends on if (the braces) are limited or full, what type of appliances, and things along those lines,” Wilson said. For those patients of parents who cannot afford orthodontic care, Wilson Orthodontics offers 10 all expenses paid scholarships every year through the Smile for a Lifetime Foundation.

Advances in technology have improved the process, allowing patients six to 10 weeks between visits during treatment, instead of

the usual four to six week intervals. With the traditional Damon System braces, each visit is usually spent changing out the wire strength of the braces, which starts small and grows each visit.

“That progression in wires allows the teeth to express. The brackets have a pre-scription in them and as you work through the thicker wires it expresses that prescrip-tion,” Wilson said.

Morgan Stewart of Gainesville was visiting Dr. Wilson for a check in appointment after having her braces removed last April.

“I had awful teeth, these two stuck out,” Stewart said pointing to her mouth. “At first when they tightened it, it hurts, but it was worth it, and I have a gorgeous smile.”

At age 15, she’s glad to cross one more thing she has to worry about off her list: “I don’t have to be the awkward teenager with the glasses, braces and acne.”

For those facing joining the brace face trend, Stewart had some sage advice.

“It’s really weird having people touching and holding your mouth open, but don’t do anything dumb because once you get them taken off you won’t regret it,” she said. “Be-cause it leaves you with a really lovely smile that no one will forget.”

After the braces come off, there are still checkups, and a lifelong effort to sustain those results.

“One of the biggest things we’re big about

is retention,” Wilson said. “They make the investment, and it is an investment. It is an in-vestment in their future, like any investment you want to protect it.”

Patients may continue to grow and change physically, but Wilson said in most cases once someone is done with treatment, that is the mouth they will have the rest of their lives, so the retainers they receive rarely have to be altered.

“Most orthodontists will do two retainers, we do three retainers because we really want to protect that investment,” Wilson said. “They have to wear retainers for the rest of their lives. After the first year, they’re wearing it every night. It will get to where they go every other night, and then maybe one or two times a week, but we never tell them to quit wearing them.”

In collaboration with school programs that introduce children to orthodontics, and at the end of National Orthodontic Aware-ness Month, orthodontists are out to lessen the temptation to dig into the sticky, crunchy, chewy and gooey candy amassed during Halloween trick-or-treating. Their annual Candy Buy Back promotion offers children $2 for every pound of candy brought in. All the candy children with braces should avoid is boxed up and sent to Operation Gratitude, giving troops overseas a treat during the holi-day season.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Wilson

said. “They are getting rid of candy they’re not supposed to be eating, and other people are benefiting from it.”

Wilson said that the market for adult orthodontics has been growing, and Invis-align braces have offered a new solution for those worried about their smile, no matter what age.

“I tell everybody orthodontics is like build-ing a house, and dentistry orthodontics is the foundation,” Wilson said. “So anything else that you get whether it’s a filling or crown, periodontal work, gum work, or anything like that, that all needs to be done on a good solid foundation, and orthodontics gives that for dentistry.”

Having recently taken braces off an 83-year-old patient, Wilson said there is no age limits on who can get braces, or when.

“With anything there’s risks, but the ben-efits far outweigh the risks, and the risks of doing nontreatment is a hundred times-fold than the risk of doing treatment,” Wilson said.

The first thought of reversing the ageing process usually turns to cosmetic surgery, botox and expensive serums, but many are not thinking about the easiest fix.

“People used to just look at the teeth, and getting the teeth straightened and aligned but now we’re looking at how the teeth bal-ances with the face and l the fuller profiles is what we’re going after,” Wilson said.

braces ■ Continued from 10


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Healthy choices, remaining active key to battling holiday weight gainBY CARLY SHAREC

For Health Watch

Many will gather around the dinner table this holiday season, sharing family memories over favorite traditional dishes. On top of the big dinners, there are usually treats at the office, holiday parties and the sharing of a drink or two, particularly as 2016 approaches.

And all of that leads to a New Year’s resolution of losing a few pounds, although the scale might not be as unfriendly as it appears.

“I think (holiday weight gain) kind of has to do a lot with our imaginations, because … everyone expects to gain weight around the holidays,” said Karen Zinka, a licensed and registered dietitian with the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Northeast Geor-gia Physicians Group. “Therefore, they’re more likely to gain weight because they ex-pect to, and they’re a little bit more carefree

about their eating habits.“But then at the same time, there are

holidays during the year. There are birth-day celebrations. There’s not necessarily an increased risk during the holidays … we’re just not as cautious, I guess you could say.”

To help keep any weight gain under con-trol through November and December, Zinka said it’s all about balance.

It’s not difficult to make healthier choices at holiday meals, Zinka said. For example, turkey is a lean protein. Choose white meat over dark and don’t eat the skin, she advised.

Another way to trim down the calories is to have a few vegetables on the table that aren’t baked into casseroles that often are fatten-ing. Instead of green bean casserole, simply have green beans, or eat a regular sweet po-tato without the marshmallow topping.

One thing Zinka stressed is to not “save

Beating the Christmas waistline

Metro Creative Connection ■ Please see waistline, 13


535 Jesse Jewell Parkway, SE, Suite C, GainesvillePhone 770.534.9014 • www.ghvg.net

GAINESVILLE HEART AND VASCULAR GROUP

Risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease include age, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use and family history of cardiovascular disease. Symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease include chest pain, shortness of breath, arm/leg pain, loss of consciousness and fatigue. We at the Gainesville Heart and Vascular Group specialize in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Established in 1994, the Gainesville Heart & Vascular Group, formerly known as the Gainesville Heart Group, is recognized as the first cardiology practice dedicated to the care of heart patients in Gainesville and surrounding areas. Its founder, Dr. David P. Johnson is a Gainesville native who had a dream of providing full-time and full-service cardiac care to the community. He and his partners played an integral part in bringing the Open Heart Surgery Program to Gainesville in 2002.

Our staff has a reputation of applying a personal touch to our care and cherishing the relationship we have with our patients. Our staff, including physicians, enjoys residing and being an active part of the Hall County community. Our office has a wide variety of services, including general cardiology consultation, electrocardiography, echocardiography / 2-D Doppler, stress echocardiography, nuclear stress testing and ankle brachial pressure index. Our physicians are staffed round the clock, 365 days a year, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Cardiac catheterizations, including coronary and peripheral artery stenting, stress testing, transesophageal echocardiography and pacemaker devices are performed at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

• Adult Consultative Cardiology• ECG, Holter and Event Monitoring• Exercise Treadmill Testing• Echocardiography• Transesophageal Echocardiography• Stress Echocardiography• Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (Nuclear Scans)• Peripheral Vascular (claudication) Testing• Cardiac Catheterization (leg and wrist access)

• Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting• Peripheral Vascular Angioplasty and Stenting• Renal Angioplasty and Stenting• Pacemaker Implants• Loop Recorder Implants• Pacemaker and ICD Management• Anticoagulation Management• Lipid Management• Pulmonary Hypertension Testing

SERVICES OFFERED

At Gainesville Heart & Vascular Group, we believe that the patient is the center of our practice. We are committed to providing the best possible care through diligent clinical evaluation and appropriate use of state-of-the-art technology. Guided by compassion for each individual, we strive to provide convenience and peace of mind to our patients by providing most

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We would enjoy an opportunity to meet with you to prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease.

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Cardiovascular disease affects over 80 million people in the United States.

up” calories for the big meal.“Don’t skip breakfast and lunch knowing

you’re going to eat a huge Thanksgiving din-ner,” she said. “At least have a scheduled breakfast and a scheduled lunch. You’re less likely to be starving … so hopefully your portions will be slightly smaller.”

For parties, having a strategy ahead of time can help, Zinka said. For example, those who would rather have a holiday cock-tail could choose healthier food options. On the other hand, if you just have to try the sausage cheese balls, then drink water.

“Just because it’s a party doesn’t mean you have to eat what’s there,” she said. “You can bring something yourself. You can do a slight recipe modification.

“And usually there’s always some sort of fruit, some sort of vegetable there that are options.”

Through it all, Zinka said, it’s important to remember that holiday meals also have a place in a healthy eating plan.

“It’s not about avoiding everything alto-gether,” she said. “If you’re going to pick something, that’s fine. But don’t pick 10 dif-ferent things. Just pick one choice.”

waistline ■ Continued from 12

Smaller portions, recipe swaps all helpful in battling bulge

y Eat small, healthy meals before the big holiday dinner. If you sit down at the dinner table on an empty stomach, you’ll be less likely to make healthy choices and eat smaller portions, according to Karen Zinka, a licensed and registered dietitian with the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group.

y Swap out favorites for healthy sub-stitutes. Zinka suggests that you don’t have to give up your holiday favorites, but just make a few changes to lighten up the dish. For example, choose lower-fat recipe ingredients. Bring a healthy dish. If you’re going to a party or family meal, you can bring your own healthy dish, not only for yourself but to share with others looking for lighter options.

y Choose nutrition over empty calo-ries. For example, Zinka advised to choose an oatmeal raisin cookie over a plain sugar cookie. “At least with the oat-meal raisin cookie you get a little bit of fiber,” she said.

y Get active. Keeping a regular exer-cise routine while maintaining good sleep habits will help you make better choices at the dinner table, Zinka said. Metro Creative Connection


Emergency & after-hours orthopaedic careWe’re here to help when you get injured.

Same-day care for:• Fractures • Dislocations• Strains and sprains

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SCG’s new Ortho Emergent Care means that you can skip the long wait and high bills of an emergency room visit for orthopaedic emergencies.

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By LEANNE AKINTimes regional staff

For women dealing with pain, bloating and bleeding caused by fibroids, the nonsurgical option of uterine artery embolization can be a godsend, according to Dr. Steven Black of Gainesville Radiology Group.

Fibroids are benign growths that develop in the smooth muscle layers of the uterus. As the fibroids get larger, the general discom-fort can become increasingly painful and some women of child-bearing age may have difficulty getting pregnant.

Black said there are success stories of women getting pregnant after the nonsur-gical procedure, which has gotten more in vogue in the last 10 years as working women appreciate the decreased downtime. Rather than a hysterectomy, which was at one time the primary treatment course for fibroids, women can opt to keep their uterus and gain relief from symptoms.

Women usually seek relief from their symptoms from a gynecologist who pro-vides the referral to Gainesville Radiology Group. A pelvic ultrasound can confirm the uterine fibroids and a pelvic MRI can yield more details and outline the anatomy to en-

sure no surprises.Access to the patient’s

artery is gained through the femoral as is done with a heart catheterization. In the lab, the blood supply to the fibroids is blocked by the injection of tiny particles, and the fibroids start to shrink. As the fi-broids decrease in size, the patient gets relieved from symptoms. A followup MRI is done three month later to ensure the growths are still shrinking, and an an-nual MRI also monitors the uterus to determine that no other fibroids are forming.

Black said he recommends a week off the job but there are some women who have the procedure on Thursday and return to work on Monday. The patient is generally kept overnight so they can be put on a pain management pump as the shrinking of the growths may initially be painful.

Black says uterine artery embolization is just one of the nonsurgical procedures he performs.

For kidney tumors mea-suring 5 centimeters or less, Black has been per-forming radiofrequency ablations for about five years. A probe that will heat up to 105 degree C is placed in the right area of the tumor.

“We can ablate a tumor in 10 to 15 minutes,” said Black, who indicates an MRI six months later is performed.

He also has a special interest in kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive proce-dure for spinal compres-sion fractures.

Black has been performing procedures on the Gainesville campus of Northeast Geor-gia Medical Center since joining Gainesville Radiology Group in 2006. While Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton has the resources and personnel to do the proce-dures, Black said he has not performed any of his diagnostic and interventional services there as of yet, but he anticipates he will in the coming months.

Learn more about Black and Gainesville Radiology Group by visiting www.gainesvil-leradiologygroup.com Gainesville Radiology Group in 2006.

Nonsurgical option for fibroids a better choice for some

Metro Creative Connection

‘Rather than a hysterectomy, which was at one time the primary treatment course for fibroids, women can opt to keep their uterus and gain relief from symptoms.’

www.scg-ortho.com


Gastroenterology Associates of Gainesville is the largest gastroenterology practice in Northeast Georgia.

Our highly qualified physicians utilize cutting-edge technology to diagnose and treat a wide variety of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Many people find discussing concerns related to the digestive tract embarrassing. Our physicians and staff understand the sensitive nature of digestive problems and are specially trained to handle any questions and concerns.

Exceptional Medical Care with a Human Touch

Lavonia Office355 Clear Creek Pkwy., Suite 1007, Lavonia, GA

Dawsonville Office108 Prominence Court

Dawsonville, GA

770-536-8109 • Toll Free 1-877-683-9410 • www.GastroGainesville.com

We ARE the experts.

Main Office2324 Limestone Overlook

Gainesville, GA

Braselton Office1515 River Place

Suite 310, Braselton, GA

Habersham Office638 Historic Hwy 441 NSuite B, Demorest, GA


www.nghs.com/orthopedics

healthwatch october 2015

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