Surgery). Most doctors who perform Mohs surgery in Florida have not completed a fellowship, he says. “It’s part of the message and what we try to educate patients about,” Dr. Bowman says.
Complete Care
The Bowman Institute specializes in Mohs surgery, but also performs meticulous skin examinations, skin biopsies, and high-risk tumor follow-up. Dr. Bowman also performs surgical revisions for patients who have had skin cancer surgery elsewhere but did not have good results. For example, Dr. Bowman recalls a patient who had to make multiple visits to another practice for recurrences of a skin cancer on their nose. After repair, the patient had difficulty breathing through the nostril where the surgery was performed. When the cancer appeared yet again, the patient came to Dr. Bowman, who successfully removed the cancer with Mohs surgery, and conducted reconstructive surgery, using staged flaps and cartilage grafts taken from the patient’s ear, to rebuild the nostril rim. “We were able to replace a lot of the volume (of the nostril) and now the patient can breathe again,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s still healing, but the patient now has a right side of their nose.” In Mohs surgery, Dr. Bowman is both the surgeon and the pathologist — one of the key definitions of the procedure. He is the one who looks at the tissue under the microscope to determine if, or where, any cancer cells remain, and if they do, he knows exactly where to go back to follow
them. “Everything is processed on site, in our own lab,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s a different standard of processing.” Even if a patient’s needs somehow extend beyond the services The Bowman Institute provides, the practice maintains a network and good relationships with other specialists. In fact, Dr. Bowman recently gave a lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in California on Multidisciplinary Collaboration in the treatment of skin cancer, and how dermatologic surgeons can collaborate with other specialists (plastic surgeons, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, etc.) to provide the best possible outcome for patients with very complicated and difficult skin cancers. The practice opened its doors in 2004, and in 2008, Physician’s Assistant Avni Koschmeder came on board. Dr. Bowman performs all of the surgical procedures, but Koschmeder helps evaluate patients prior to surgery and is very much an extension of Dr. Bowman’s approach to customer care. “She (Koschmeder) follows my philosophy of how to treat patients,” Dr. Bowman says. “We want patients to feel like they are a person and not just a number. Avni does a great job with that.” The Bowman Institute is located at 5379 Primrose Lake Cir. in Tampa Palms. No referral is required to make an appointment. For additional information, visit TheBowmanInstitute. com, call (813) 977-2040 or see the ad on page 34 of this issue.
SPOTLIGHT ON...Florida Orthopaedic Institute! It’s been a little over two years since the newest office of Florida Orthopaedic Institute opened in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across from Florida Hospital Wesley (L.-r.): Adil Samad, M.D., Christopher Baker, M.D., Brian Palumbo, Chapel (FHWC). M.D. and Timothy Epting, D.O., of Florida Orthopaedic Institute. The staff and injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle doctors at the office are meeting the increasing and general orthopaedic conditions. demand for specialized orthopaedic care that Adil Samad, M.D., a spine surgeon can help the residents of Wesley Chapel, New who specializes in degenerative conditions Tampa and nearby communities stay active. of the spine, adult spinal reconstruction, The Board-certified doctors and surscoliosis and complex revisions. geons at Florida Orthopaedic Institute have To maintain the highest level of orthobeen recognized globally for their expertise. paedic skill, Florida Orthopaedic Institute Headquartered in North Tampa, the Wesley only employs doctors who have had fellowChapel office is the tenth for the practice, ship training. “This additional training is just which has been open for 27 years and now part of what sets us apart,” says Dr. Baker, serves patients in or near Bloomingdale, “especially when the sophisticated work Brandon, Citrus Park, Northdale, Oak Hill/ of joints is involved. In order to keep our paBrooksville, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, tients active, the precision of the treatment is Sun City Center, Temple Terrace and Wesley paramount to success.” Chapel/New Tampa. Educating patients is a core philosophy The Wesley Chapel office offers phyat the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, whose sician services, physical therapy and X-rays, surgeons encourage patients to seek out with three Board-certified physicians on staff: options to ensure that they are getting a • Christopher Baker, M.D., a fellowdoctor who is experienced in treating their ship-trained specialist in sports medicine and particular type of injury. shoulder reconstruction; For more info, stop in at Florida Or• Brian Palumbo, M.D., who specialthopaedic Institute’s Wesley Chapel office izes in hip and knee replacement surgery, at 2653 BBD, visit FloridaOrtho.com or with a focus on diagnosing and treating hip see the ad on page 10 of this issue. The and knee arthritis, and Wesley Chapel location is open Mon.• Timothy Epting, D.O., orthopaeFri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (800) FL-ORdic foot & ankle surgeon, who focuses on THO for appointments.
Make a Move
N OP OW EN !
to the New Community That’s Right in Your Neighborhood Beach House Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel offers seniors the supportive lifestyle they need to remain more independent, plus peace of mind for the families who love them. Discover everything this new community has to offer, including: • • • •
Well-designed, all new private residences Respectful assistance with the activities of daily living Specialized memory care for Alzheimer’s or dementia Exceptional dining and a full calendar of events
2/18
Schedule a Visit Now! Call (813) 508-6677.
BeachHouseWiregrass.com • info@BeachHouseWiregrass.com 30070 State Road 56 • Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Assisted Living Facility license # pending
Neighborhood News
@NTWCNews
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 8 • April 6, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com
23