Dr. Sivasekaran, MD August is “Safety Month” and while we take the time to consider all of the preventative ways to protect ourselves, we often overlook the negative effects that these hot summer months have on our cardiovascular systems. With weather approaching the upper 90’s and on some days, triple digits, …

The development of improved screening tests for various types of cancer means that physicians can now identify and diagnose cancer at an earlier stage, many times, before any symptoms are present. Early detection is important because when abnormal tissues or cancers are found early, they are easier to treat. Some …

By Juan C. Gutierrez, M.D. Board Certified in General Surgery Were you one of the millions of people across the United States that unknowingly joined together in making that all-too-common resolution, “This is the year that I’m finally going to lose this extra weight!” How is that going? Some will succeed, …

Did you know that 1 in 68 children have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?  After High School, 35% of young adults with ASD have never had a job or have continued their higher education degree.  Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly rare for elementary and high school students with ASD to be full-time in …

By Jane N. Hannah, Ed.D Over summer break, I was in a hospital elevator carrying a new book on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and a person on the elevator inquired about the book. She commented that her son was just diagnosed with ADHD, which sparked a conversation between the two …

Sleep apnea affects more than 25 million people in the United States.  It is a progressive condition that interrupts breathing patterns throughout a person’s sleep.  People that suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) may have episodes of stopping breathing up to hundreds of times per night for 10 seconds or …

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly 22 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts, a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. Since the first cataract extraction surgery in the mid 1700s, cataract surgery has become the most frequently performed and, with a 98% success rate, …

Chances are that you know someone with high blood pressure; maybe you have the condition as well. If you haven’t checked your blood pressure recently, you should make it priority to do so at your next doctor visit. Long term, uncontrolled or untreated high blood pressure can cause wide range of …

By Omeni Osian, MD Ocala Health Heart & Lung Surgery Heart surgery is common throughout the world with over 700,000 heart surgeries performed each year. Of those, 250,000 are heart valve repair or replacement surgeries. Traditionally, valve repair and replacement is completed by separating the chest bone and accessing the valve …

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) describes arthritis of the spine resulting in low back pain caused by a combination of inflammation of the damaged discs and a lack of spinal stability. In some patients, the pain may travel from the low back down into the hips and buttocks – a condition called …