Neurosurgery
- Minimally invasive and complex spine surgery
- Peripheral nerve surgery
- Placement of deep brain stimulators for movement disorders
- Surgical treatment of brain and spinal cord tumors
- Surgical treatment of vascular disorders
- Surgical treatment of epilepsy
- Surgical treatment for chronic pain syndromes
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Northeast Georgia Physicians Group provides services for Northeast Georgia Health System Occupational Medicine at nine different locations. Selected physicians, trained by Edward Galaid, MD, Medical Director of Occupational Medicine, will make sure your employees stay healthy and productive. You’ll see find a list of our services below.
Occupational Medicine
- Work related injury care (not available at all locations)
- Drug testing
- Alcohol testing (not available at all locations)
- DOT, FAA, fitness, OSHA and preplacement exams (not available at all locations)
- Hearing, vision and pulmonary testing (not available at all locations)
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Bariatric Surgery
What is obesity?
It is a chronic disease of excessive fat storage. Obesity is a life-long progressive process. This disease is not caused by any one reason - in fact, multiple factors can contribute to the problem more than just poor diet and eating habits. Other factors include lack of routine physical activity, genetics, environmental reasons, income level, region of residence, and so on.
What is morbid obesity?
When the level of obesity reached to a level which it clinically affects a patient's health, it is considered morbid obesity. Several objective definitions also exist based on National Institute of Health Consensus. People with a body mass index (BMI) equal to 35 to 39.9 with obesity related disease or BMI of 40 or more without any co-morbidities are considered morbid obesity. Unfortunately, persons with BMI of 50 or more are considered super morbidly obese. Morbid obesity causes over 50 weight related medical problems and have been linked to over 10 particular cancers. Due to increased medical problems and increased risks for these certain cancers, suffering persons are known to have increased risk of dying, but also shortening of their lifespan.
Prevalence of obesity in our country
The spread of obesity has significantly increased over the last 30 years in our country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as tracked this from 1985 to 2007.
Worldwide, obesity affects over 300 million people, but in America, 64% of adults are overweight, and 10 million of those people are morbidly obese. Between 2000 and 2005, obesity(BMI >30) increased by 24%, morbid obesity(BMI>40) increased by 52%, while super morbid obesity (BMI >50) increased by 75%.
What about our children? The prevelance of obesity in our children and adolescents have increased over 2-4 folds in the different age groups over the last 30 years. Currently, 32% of our children are overweight. Sixty percent of these children will remain obese even into adulthood.
Morbid Obesity impacts people in so many ways
The impact of obesity is far-reaching. Not surprising, medical costs in obese patients are significantly higher than normal weight people. Obese persons have increased the risk for comorbid diseases and cancers therefore a higher risk of dying eariler.
Being obese can be very debilitating to the point were even everyday routine activity can be challenging such as clothing selection, tying shoelaces, finding suitable public seating, personal hygiene, accommodating public toilets, and the list goes on. Psychological concerns of obesity can be very difficult on a person's quality of life. Often obese people carry low self-esteems, and even consider themselves failures for not being able to control their weight. Society can be naive and cruel. Too many of times has our culture endorsed thinness. Weight harassment unfortunately carries beyond the playground where children are teasing each other to adults snickering at others' weight condition.
It is sad that gender, race, and age were once issues that prevented well qualified people from getting the nice jobs, the promotions, or even entry to competitive schools and universities. It's unfortunate that many qualified obese people are being discriminated in this day and age in similar ways.
Financially, it is also a very costly unnecessary burden. Besides cost of obesity from loss of opportunity in jobs and promotions, individual personal costs secondary to medical reasons associated with this disease can be as high as an additional $15,500.00 per year. In 2000, it was estimated that over $130 billion of additional medical cost was associated with obesity.
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FREE Weight Loss Surgery Seminar
Treatment Options
Your Decision for Bariatric Surgery
After Your Bariatric Surgery
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Heartburn Surgery
Heartburn is a very common problem, affecting up to 40% of Americans on a monthly basis. Heartburn is usually due to gastroesophageal reflux, or the regurgitation of gastric contents (usually acidic) into the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is diagnosed when symptoms occur 3-4 times weekly or are uncontrolled, require ongoing treatment with medicines, or produce damage (or possible damage) to the esophagus or respiratory tract. Complications of GERD include esophagitis (erosions or ulcers in the esophagus), difficulty swallowing due to strictures (scarring), Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal cancer. Airway contamination by regurgitation can produce asthma symptoms, recurrent bronchitis, pneumonia and lung fibrosis (scarring). Many patients will experience chest pain that mimics heart disease.
Most patients can be successfully managed by modification of diet and some changes in lifestyle, in conjunction with very effective medications. Most patients requiring continued treatment with prescription medications should undergo an endoscopic examination (EGD) to make sure significant esophageal damage has not already occurred. They can then take medications confident they are not masking important health risks.
Unfortunately, medications may not treat all of the effects of GERD, such as respiratory problems, Barrett's esophagus or cancer. Furthermore, about half of patients will require progressively larger dosages of medication or fail to gain control of symptoms on medication alone. Some patients may simply be unhappy with treating GERD with a lifetime of medication. Others may have dangerous changes in their anatomy, such a giant hiatal hernia, that cannot be managed with medication. In these cases, there are procedures that will effectively relieve GERD or treat the complications of GERD.
If EGD is normal-as it is in many patients with GERD-then medication is prescribed, in most cases without additional testing. If the diagnosis is in doubt or other procedures are being considered, esophageal function testing will help in making a conclusive diagnosis and allow planning of those procedures. Occasionally, an unsuspected finding will change the recommended procedure.
Laparoscopic fundoplication can effectively control GERD. Our surgeons are expert in this field, with the experience of hundreds of successful surgeries for GERD and hiatal hernia repair. A newer procedure, transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) can control GERD in many patients without the need for surgery. This procedure produces a result similar to surgical fundoplication, but by using special instruments passed through the mouth under anesthesia. Morbidly obese patients may, in some cases, be recommended for a bariatric procedure to control their reflux and treat dangerous weight gain. Our surgeons are experts in the management of GERD and can provide complete evaluation and treatment.
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Vein Treatment
Our experienced vascular surgeons at Premier Vascular Center are dedicated to the highest level of patient care. We are committed to serving the needs of patients with vein disorders in a professional, individualized, comprehensive treatment plan. Please call our office for more information and an office visit. Dr.Fulenwider, Dr.Hastings, and Dr.Lebow are looking forward to meeting you and discussing your best options.
We specialize in the following areas in this section:
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