Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Pasco Regional Medical Center in Dade City now has a noninvasive surgical option to treat acid reflux disease, the most common cause of heartburn.

The new procedure, called Trans-oral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF), is being used by Dr. Pandurangan Krishnaraj, a general surgeon, and Dr. Soloman Singh, a gastroenterologist. Pasco Regional is the first east Pasco County hospital to offer TIF.

“The TIF procedure can significantly improve quality of life for our patients,” Krishnaraj said. “(Reflux) is an anatomical problem which needs an anatomical solution. Reflux medications like PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) can help relieve patients’ heartburn symptoms but don’t solve the underlying anatomical problems or prevent further disease progression. Even on PPIs, many patients are still unable to eat the foods they want or have to sleep sitting up to reduce nighttime reflux.”

Krishnaraj also said new studies suggest long-term use of such PPIs can lead to problems absorbing minerals from food such as calcium. Such medications are not needed after TIF treatment.

“After the TIF procedure, clinical trials show that most patients can eat and drink foods they avoided for many years,” Krishnaraj said. “Reflux no longer impacts their life like it previously did.”

The TIF procedure is based on established principles of surgical repair of the anti-reflux barrier, except it is performed within the body by going through the patient’s mouth. The procedure creates a valve between the stomach and esophagus, which restores the natural way the body prevents the reflux of acid into the esophagus.

The procedure is still relatively new but has been widely used during the last few years and has resulted in no long-term problems in patients.

Acid reflux is a very common problem, affecting about 60 million Americans each year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records.

“Recent studies of the TIF procedure have shown that it can reduce patients’ dependency on medications with 79 percent of patients remaining off their daily medications after two years and experiencing a dramatic improvement in their quality of life,” Singh said. “We are very excited to be able to offer our patients the same incredible benefits of more invasive procedures, but without incisions.”

Along with eliminating the discomfort of heartburn, the noninvasive nature of TIF allows people to recover from surgery faster because there is no incision, not even the relatively small cut needed for laparoscopic surgery.

The fact that TIF requires no cutting of the skin and muscle is a relatively new step in surgery. Laparoscopic procedures, while minimally invasive, still create a small incision in order to complete such an operation.

Typical laparoscopic procedures create several seven-millimeter-long incisions. Such surgeries also expose the body to the outside air. None of these aspects are part of TIF.

For more information on the procedure, call Pasco Regional at (352) 521-1100 or visit www.pascoregionalmc.com.

Florida looks to protect infants from prescription abuse

By Kyle LoJacono

 The Florida Legislature is creating a task force unlike any other to combat prescription drug abuse in the state.

The statewide group will examine the effects on newborn babies of mothers who abused prescription pain pills while carrying a child. This causes the infant to become addicted to the drugs.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said the goal of the force is to not only understand the scope of the problem, but also the cost of caring for such infants dealing with neonatal withdrawal, the long-term effects and identifying ways to prevent abuse by expectant mothers.

“I have seen firsthand the most vulnerable victims of prescription drug abuse, and we must do everything we can to protect these newborns,” Bondi said. “A thorough examination of this emerging problem now will help us develop sound prevention strategies for the future.”

No estimates exist to measure the number of babies born in Florida with an addiction to prescription drugs, but those who work in neonatal units have noticed an increase.

Dr. Kenneth Solomon, neonatologist and director of the neonatal intensive care unit of St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa, said the facility has seen an increase in the number of newborns suffering from withdrawal.

Solomon said neonatal withdrawal syndrome “is a collection of problems that will occur in a newborn that has been exposed to addictive drugs while in the womb. Symptoms of withdrawal include: fever, seizures, blotchy skin, incessant shrill cries, respiratory problems and extreme sensitivity to sounds and light.”

The Tampa Bay area has become one of the epicenters for the prescription drug abuse problem in the state. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission’s statistics show that of the 2,710 deaths attributed to prescription drug abuse last year, 1,150 were from people in Pasco, Hillsborough or Pinellas counties.

“If this epidemic is not slowed, and then reversed, the risk to the well-being of women and their children and medical costs associated with expectant mothers and newborns will continue to rise,” Bondi said.

Solomon will help the task force by contributing data and experience gained while working with infants going through withdrawal.

“At St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, we are working to provide the necessary newborn infant treatment while educating parents about the special needs of these babies,” Solomon said. “We’re eager to collaborate on local and statewide initiatives that target maternal early identification and provide prenatal treatment that can help prevent needless suffering.”

Members of the task force

–Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi

–Florida Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer

–Elizabeth Dudek, Secretary, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary

–Gerald Bailey, Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement

By Eugenio Torrens

Phillip Darrow used to have a tough time getting around.

The 65-year-old Arbor Oaks resident has neuropathy in his ankles, which means the nerves to his knees and ankles are deteriorating. An on-and-off regiment of steroid infusions for the past four years wasn’t enough.

Then a few weeks ago, Darrow started using some new equipment and gradually, he has noticed an improvement.

That equipment is available at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa or at USF. But now, it is also closer than ever to home.

Physical therapist Robert Dragan operates out of an office by the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. He has been in the city since 1995 and established Rehab Point in 1999.

“I owe something to the community,” Dragan said.

He has helped countless patients with stiff bones, muscle aches and worse. Now he may be able to offer patients an aide into the future — minimizing future risks.

That’s thanks to the Biodex Balance SD and the Gait Trainer machines housed in his facility.

Although the names may sound intimidating, the Biodex Balance SD is a simple-looking machine, upon which the patient stands and engages in a series of games that test motor coordination.

WThe Gait Trainer looks like any state-of-the-art treadmill, but it is noticeably low and flat to the ground, and it tracks the walking patterns of the patients in an attempt to maximize the body’s most efficient manner of stride.

Roughly two weeks into using Dragan’s new equipment, Darrow noticed a difference.

“I didn’t think I could do it,” Darrow said about first stepping on the Biodex Balance SD. “My stability has gotten better. My balance has gotten better also. It takes your mind off what you’re doing.”

The mental aspect is part of the reason Dragan said the Biodex Balance SD and Gait Trainer are so effective.

“It actually requires much more thinking,” Dragan said. “You are involved. It’s not the repeating exercises. A lot of patients come in here, they want me to give them, you know ‘Just give me exercises at home, and I’m going to do it. I’m just going to repeat this 15-20 repetitions, and I’ll be fine.’ No, you will be not fine.”

It has been so productive that Darrow has recommended it to different people in addition to posting brochures about Rehab Point at his mobile home park.

As for the Gait Trainer, Darrow said he’s still getting used to it, but that it too, is helping.

“It’s showing me how to move my hips and get the gait in the right perspective,” Darrow said.

Before the Gait Trainer, Darrow used to exercise his ankles just by walking around. It was all he could really do. He wished he had been privy to the technology weeks ago.

One of the vital aspects of Dragan’s new machines is their intuition — they are not only meant to illustrate weaknesses in balance or walking strides, but also to improve physical habits.

After Darrow saw his results on the Gait Trainer, he has tried adapting the walking habits the trainer suggested to his habitual walking routine.

Dragan said his new equipment could eventually reduce health care cost by improving overall safety for senior citizens.

“We would like to save this money for Medicare later on,” Dragan said. “If we can decrease the cost of the health care by decreasing the risk and all these costs of complications, we will be much better.”

Dragan said if people learn their limitations, they can learn to prevent them as well as how to deal and improve upon them.

“The more you’re afraid to fall, the faster you fall,” Dragan said. “Unfortunately, that’s how it works.”

Although this experiment is still in its infancy, Dragan hasn’t been shortsighted. He doesn’t plan to limit the abilities of this technology to seniors only. He predicts it could be particularly beneficial to high school athletes as well.

“Unfortunately, there is always somebody who gets injured,” Dragan said.

He noted football, volleyball, soccer and track and field athletes as ones who could get the most out of this.

Dragan hopes by working with coaches that he can bring the program to Pasco and Zephyrhills high schools.

Rehab Point Inc. is located at 38026 Medical Center Ave. in Zephyrhills. For more information, visit www.rehabpoint.com or call (813) 779-8829.

By B.C. Manion

When 83-year-old Shirley Stemler had a total hip replacement, she knew she’d need some extra help during her recovery.

She turned to Home Instead Senior Care East Pasco for help.

The private company, based in Wesley Chapel, provides various services aimed at helping people remain in their homes, instead of going to a healthcare facility.

Stemler, who lives in Dade City, was delighted to have that option.

“I was very, very pleased,” she said. “The fact that I could come home and not have to go somewhere else when I left the hospital was important to me.”

She turned to the service to help her with practical matters.

“I had them come basically for the mornings,” she said. They helped her with sponge baths, cleaning chores and preparing meals.

“One gal, M.J., when she finished helping me she went into the kitchen, cleaned my cupboards, my refrigerator – stuff I hadn’t done. I was in a lot of pain for the two months before I had surgery. She really went above and beyond.”

Stemler only used the service for five or six days, but she was pleased she could go home immediately from the hospital.

“The good thing is, you’re home. I like my own home. I’m more comfortable in my own surroundings,” said Stemler, while sitting in her home, surrounded by artwork and photographs on the wall and other personal mementoes.

Michele and Lynelle Bonneville are co-owners of Home Instead Senior Care East Pasco, which is based at 29149 Chapel Park Drive in Wesley Chapel.

The company’s service area is bounded by US 41 on the west and by county lines on the east, north and south. Another franchise office Home Instead Senior Care West Pasco, is owned by Joy and Howard Cook, and serves people living in Pasco County west of US 41.

Michele said her business service ranges from as little as one day a week for three hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The rates vary. In general, the rate ranges from $17.75 an hour for a homemaker companion to $200 for a 12-hour shift.

Michele, a former nurse practitioner and pharmaceutical sales representative, said she had retired from those professions and was looking for something new.

She attended a franchise expo in Miami where she found out about Home Instead and knew immediately it was the niche for her.

As America’s population ages, these kinds of services will become increasingly important, Michele said.

About 5.3 million Americans were afflicted by Alzheimer’s, according to 2010 statistics compiled by the Alzheimer’s Association. Michele said she was drawn to the franchise because of its solid track record and reputation but was also attracted by its mission.

“It’s like a calling, because I do want to change the face of aging,” Michele said.

In addition to her medical background, she also has a degree in anthropology.

“I have been around the world, and I have seen other cultures,” she said.

She understands why extended families are so important in helping a society to function, she said. “But it (the extended family) is fractured in our society.”

The majority of her clients are people between the ages of 45 and 65 who are the children of seniors and who live far away, Michele said.

They know their parents need care, but they are not here to provide it, she said.

“We provide peace of mind. I provide updates, little progress reports. Lots of times it’s good news and sometimes it’s with concerns, ‘Well, we see this happening, maybe we should think about this.’”

In some cases, her staff can provide an alert that can lead to an earlier diagnosis and intervention, Michele said.

“We have one client, I see signs of dementia, but she’s never been diagnosed with it and she’s not on medication.

“I had a talk with her daughter, and she’s now going to ask her physician to work her mom up.”

As people age, their memory can fade.

“We lose our sense of time,” Michele said. “It becomes hard to discern different days of the week and times of the day. The biggest impact it has is on their medication regimen.

“Either they don’t take their medications or some days they will double or triple up, and it ends up in a hospital admission.”

Home Instead Senior Care East Pasco County provides medication reminders.

“We do focus on the client. We don’t go in and do the tasks, like make the meals for them. If we can, we keep the client engaged as much as possible. ‘Come, help me fix lunch.’ ‘Come help me fix dinner.’

“We’ll snap beans together or fold laundry together,” she said.

If the client can’t perform a household task, her staff will do it for them.

“We will clean, do the laundry for them, strip the beds. They don’t have the strength to strip the beds or vacuum sometimes.”

They’ll transport clients to doctor’s appointments and go in with them to see the doctor, taking notes to pass along to family members.

“Sometimes there is clutter in the house, there are papers everywhere. We may sit down and help them get them organized or work with a family member to get them organized.”

Soon, the company will be launching an Alzheimer’s program.

There’s a huge need to help caregivers learn how to cope with that, she said. “We will be offering family training for the community for free,” she said.

Michele has hired about 25 part-time employees to serve her company’s clients. Each of those employees has undergone a background check and a motor vehicle records check. They also undergo a drug and alcohol screening and are subject to random tests.

The company provides training for its staff, Michele said.

She has identified the most important qualities she looks for in a prospective employee.

“They have to have a caring heart and they have to be reliable and dependable,” Michele said.

Home Instead Senior Care

East Pasco: (813) 991-7524

West Pasco: (727) 845-5819

By B.C. Manion

It isn’t even Halloween yet, but workers at Helping Hands Pantry are already starting to worry that they won’t have enough food in their cupboard to help families in need during the holidays.

Like many individuals and companies, the community food bank headquartered at Atonement Lutheran Church of Wesley Chapel is taking a hit from the tough economy.

Some of the people and organizations that have helped in the past can’t do so this year, said Yvette Williams, assistant director of the food pantry. So, the organization is planning a couple of events aimed at drumming up some support.

It will host a Trunk-A-Treat on Sunday, Oct. 23 to solicit donations to help provide food for Thanksgiving dinners. It also is hosting a “Help Stock our Shelves Pancake Breakfast and Fall Festival” on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Proceeds from those events will support the purchase of turkeys for holiday dinners.

The need is enormous, Williams said.

“When we first opened, we had about 50 recipients,” Williams said, noting the food pantry started up in March 2009.

Now, she said, “we’re averaging anywhere from 190 to 200 families.”

The pantry provides families a two-day supply of food, and during 2010 it distributed about 283,850 pounds of food to more than 8,213 families, representing a total of 26,866 people.

“When we opened, we thought we would be helping the homeless,” she said.

But it turns out that homeless people don’t come to the pantry much because they need a ride to get there.

“So, we’ve been having people come because they’ve lost their jobs, or had their salary or hours cut,” Williams said.

“It’s really heart-wrenching because of the different stories you hear,” Williams said.

“We have families that are combining. One might have lost the house and they move in with their relative or friends.

“You find out that because a husband has lost a job, it’s humiliating for them to come in for help,” she added. “It’s so sad when you see a man cry.”

The food pantry does all it can to make people feel welcome and to ensure they are treated with dignity and respect, she said.

“Our volunteers are quick to give you a kind word. Give you a hug, if you need it. By the time they walk through these doors, they feel better.

“We try to make it very pleasant,” she said. “It could be any one of us.”

Some of the people that the food pantry helps end up becoming volunteers, she said.

There are also a large number of community groups, local businesses, schools and about 200 individual volunteers who provide donations and volunteer help, she said.

But the organization still has many needs.

“We are trying to get a walk-in freezer, if anyone knows of one and wants to donate it to us, give us a call,” she said.

“We can always use volunteers. We need men to help move stuff, to put stuff back,” she said.

The food pantry also needs donations of various foods, including canned fruits and vegetables, boxes of cereal, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly and other foods.

It can especially use donations of quart and gallon plastic bags, so it doesn’t have to buy them, Williams said.

The plastic bags are used to provide servings of cereal and other foods, she said.

“We don’t give a box of cereal unless it’s a big family,” she said. However, she added, “We try to give a little” when they can.

The organization also provides school supplies and holiday presents for children.

It’s never too early to start shopping for those holiday gifts, she added. “If they want to start Christmas shopping for kids, they can just bring it (present) by any day.”

Williams said she has been touched by the kind hearts in the community.

A group of kindergarteners from a Montessori school in Wesley Chapel came by to tour the food pantry, Williams said. After they visited, they decided they wanted to help.

“They had a bake sale and gave us close to $500,” she said.

The pantry welcomes donations of all sizes.

“We’re grateful for anything that we get,” she said.

Anyone who wants to help can bring his or her donations to the church office, which is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. If they want to help pay for holiday turkeys, they can make their checks out to “Helping Hands Pantry.”

The food pantry is open on Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call the church at (813) 973-2211.

 Trunk-A-Treat

When: Sunday, Oct. 23, 5-11 p.m.

What: Cars will be decorated and children will be able to trick-or-treat from the trunks of cars. Participants are asked to bring canned goods to help stock the Atonement Lutheran Food Pantry so it can stock up to help families in need. The items will be used to help provide a nice Thanksgiving for families in need and to help stock the pantry. The event also will showcase the church’s ministries.

Where: 29617 SR 54 in Wesley Chapel

Help Stock our Shelves Pancake Breakfast and Fall Festival

When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

What: Sausage, eggs, pancakes, coffee and juice. Lots of games, music, activities, a car show, dunk the pastor and other fun.

Participants are asked to bring canned goods to help those in need at Thanksgiving and to help stock the pantry.

Where: 29617 SR 54 in Wesley Chapel