Terinell Beaver, M.D. is a board-certified internist and has been practicing with The Medical Group in Germantown since March 2008. Before joining The Medical Group, she practiced with Bartlett Internal Medicine. Dr. Beaver received her bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College and her Medical Degree from The University of Tennessee Medical School. 

Dr. Beaver completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Baptist Memorial Hospital. She also completed a fellowship in Geriatrics at The University of Tennessee.  She currently serves as courtesy staff at Baptist Memorial Hospitals and Methodist Hospitals. 

During her internal medicine career, she has served as Director of the Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Clinical Instructor and Assistant Professor at The University of Tennessee, and Director of the Intermediate Care Unit in the Department of Geriatrics at the Veterans Affairs.

Dr. Beaver is now accepting new patients at The Medical Group in Germantown. The Medical Group is open Monday through Saturday and also offers a walk-in clinic. For more information, call 901-726-0200.

Role model? My role model is Dr. David Holloway of Stern Clinic. I trained at Baptist Hospital and did my outpatient clinic rotation with him for two years. He had a great relationship with his patients, many of whom were long-term patients. He was integrated in all aspects of their health, not just their cardiovascular health. He knew their family members and even in some cases, their neighbors. He always made time for his patients and still enjoys practicing today.

What motivates you? Striving to provide the best possible care for my patients motivates me.

If you were not a doctor?  I’d go fishing on the beach!

How do you maintain a work/life balance? Being in a group practice enable me to carve out definite times that I am not at the office. When I come back, I’m recharged; but I’ve learned that life happens whether or not you’re at work or not.

What is the most exciting medical breakthrough you’ve witnessed in your career? Gene therapy. The possibility of helping patients before the onset of symptoms is unbelievable.

What is your favorite quote? Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

How do you actively support the community? I practice medicine full-time. My family is active in supporting our church and our daughter’s school.

Where do you see your specialty in 10 years?More focused on preventive care and the maintenance of optimal health.

My patients……inspire me to be a better physician.

Good health advice? Establish a relationship with a primary care provider. Do everything you can to keep yourself healthy.

One evening when Jonna Elzen went to bed, she felt restless and unable to sleep. It seemed odd but she figured it was simply stress and fatigue, although the tenderness in her chest was a little alarming. 

“It wasn’t pressure or heaviness,” Jonna, 49, recalled of the incident in 2005. “It was like someone had punched me in the chest.”

Even though Jonna works in the health care management field, as executive director of MetroCare Physicians, she wasn’t conscientious about her own health. In fact, she hadn’t had a check up in about eight years. 

“I talked to one of my board members and said that I had a really weird night,” she said. “He asked me what my cholesterol was and I didn’t know.”

Like many women, what Jonna didn’t realize is how prevalent heart disease is in females. Currently 8 million American women are living with the disease, and it is their leading cause of death.

Jonna’s colleague encouraged her to get an EKG. Normally she may have shrugged off getting checked out, but her instincts told her something wasn’t right. She went to Memphis Heart Clinic where the EKG was normal, and other tests were inconclusive, but they kept her overnight to schedule some morning screenings. The doctors decided to do a cardiac catheterization due to her family history – her father died of a massive heart attack at age 57. A heart cath is a procedure where doctors gauge blood flow in the heart by inserting a tube into a vein and injecting dye to view vessels in an X-ray. 

“That was the point where I thought I was foolish, like why am I doing this,” said Jonna. “I thought I was wasting so much money and resources.”  

It turned out her instincts were right. Jonna said as soonas the dye hit, she knew, because as it moved through her vessels she saw it stop. She had a severe blockage in the left main vessel, called an acute left main occlusion. This vessel provides two-thirds of the blood flow to the heart. She would not have survived a heart attack. 

“My father had his first heart attack when he was 42. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that. I smoked for 30 years, and I have been a yo-yo dieter my whole life,” Jonna said, adding that her grandfather and many of her aunts and uncles had heart disease. “Then when my dad was 57 he had a massive heart attack and died.  It was devastating, and I still didn’t do anything about the smoking. I didn’t even register who I was in this equation.”

She did exactly the right thing when she had her symptoms, explained her cardiologist at Memphis Heart Clinic, Stacy Smith, M.D. Fortunately, even though the initial tests results were unclear, her doctors took the symptoms seriously. 

“It’s common to miss a diagnosis without the right tests,”

Smith said. “The problem is it’s more challenging to diagnose heart disease in women.”

Tests can be inconclusive in females due to a variety of factors, one of which is that screening measurements were developed with men as subjects. Women may require further testing such as calcium scoring.

“If you’re concerned and you have a family history, you need to be screened,” she advised.

Jonna’s cardiothoracic surgeon, Ed Garrett, M.D., of Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic, remarked on the severity of her case, which is somewhat rare in women but is becoming more common, Garrett said, partly due to a stressful lifestyle and more women are smoking. 

Garrett sees plaque-filled hearts every day in his work, and the numbers of women with heart disease continue to increase. He estimated the increase at about 40 percent over the past decade. His advice to women: don’t think you’re too young, and don’t smoke.

“Arteries in women are smaller than they are in men. It 

takes less plaque to obstruct them,” he added. “If it takes less total plaque to stop up your arteries that means you can’t be too careful.”

Overall, she said, “Life is good. I take my meds, and I can’t stress that enough. My biggest struggle is the exercise, but I’m meticulous about my diet.” 

Jonna knows that her previously unhealthy lifestyle exacerbated her risk factors, and since her surgeries she has become an advocate for women’s heart health. She’s a volunteer for the heart support group with the American Heart Association and a member of WomenHeart, the National Coalition of Women with Heart Disease. She speaks at various community and education events.

“We need to know what our risk factors are, and that’s my message when I go out and talk to people,” she said. “When I see people buying a pack of cigarettes, I’m talking to them.  

“I feel God was generous with my life, and I went through the first one by grace,” Jonna continued. “That didn’t have to be my story, and I feel like it was because that’s what I’m supposed to get out and do.” 

Her message to women, “You know your body. Don’t ignore anything. If you don’t think people are listening to you, it’s okay to get somebody else to talk to. You have to take responsibility for yourself.  If you’re doing anything that you shouldn’t be doing, really take a minute to evaluate what your risk factors are, who you are, and don’t think this can’t happen.”

by Hollie Haynie

To learn more about women’s heart health, visit www.womenheart.com.  •

While aesthetic skin treatments often help a person feel more confident about her looks, they can provide more than just an ego boost. For deeper damage like acne scarring, sun damage and age spots, as well as wrinkles, Fraxel® Laser Treatment offers an opportunity to rejuvenate the skin’s appearance and texture with quicker recovery time than traditional laser treatments. Currently, the procedure is available at the McDonald Murmann Center for Skin, Laser and Healthy Aging.  

How it works

The Fraxel® laser targets aging and damaged skin by creating microscopic “wounds” within the targeted areas that penetrate well beneath the skin’s outermost layer. In this way, Fraxel® laser treatments trigger the body’s own natural production of new collagen and skin cells which rise to the surface and replace the old skin.

“Doing a lift does nothing for the skin texture or tone,” explained Sarah Carpenter, R.N., B.S.N. “Fraxel® is the most aggressive (non-ablative laser treatment), the gold standard of resurfacing skin.”

What it treats

Fraxel® laser treatment is designed to repair sun damage, melasma, acne scarring, age spots, wrinkles and other signs of aging. It can be used on the face, neck, arms and hands. Pam Albrecht was excited to try the Fraxel® as soon as it was available. She had always been a sun-worshipper, but after her sister got skin cancer, Pam stopped completely. 

“I wanted Fraxel® for the sun damage and freckles.”

Pam was covered in dark freckles before, but since the Fraxel® treatments, “I’ve had fantastic results,” she said, beaming on how it lightened and eliminated many of her freckles. 

“It’s like the skin is plumper, rejuvenated,” Pam added. “It’s fresh skin.” 

Differences  from  traditional laser treatment

Traditional laser treatments are ablative, literally burning the outer layers of skin. It requires a physician to perform, and recovery time is much longer. By contrast, Fraxel® laser treatments are non-ablative and work on the layers underneath the skin. The discomfort is minimal and the results are gradual. 

Before Fraxel®, there was no substantive laser treatment for the neck and décolleté. Fraxel® is gentle enough for those areas, plus it can help with stretch marks and scars. 

Treatments needed

Fraxel® is semi-permanent. Most people do well with three to four treatments, explained Carpenter. How many sessions are needed will depend on the extent of the damage and how much improvement each client wants to achieve. The cumulative effect is better if sessions are done closer together. Before the procedure numbing cream is applied. The procedure typically takes thirty minutes. Afterwards the skin will feel hot like a mild sunburn, explained Carpenter. Once the procedure is complete, it’s imperative to be diligent about skin care.

“Wear sun screen and cover up,” advised Carpenter. “Wear SPF 30 on the face and hands, more than just your daily moisturizer, and use an antioxidant serum.”

Results 

“The first time I could see results.” Pam said. “I could see the results in the first week, and it continued working for three months.”

“I have more confidence with fewer freckles,” she continued. “I feel much better about myself now.”

To learn more about Fraxel® Laser Treatment, visit www.mmwcskinandlaser.com. • 

by Hollie Haynie

Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) restores hormones such as estrogen and progesterone and androgens like testosterone that the ovaries stop making during menopause. Hormone levels begin to change during perimenopause, the years just before menopause takes place. During this phase, some women have hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular periods and insomnia due to the declining hormone levels. After menopause, the drop in hormone levels can mean hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and loss of libido.

Other symptoms may include thinning hair, skin and nails; fuzzy thinking and loss of ability to concentrate; mood swings; and water retention. All of these are often signs of testosterone and estrogen insufficiency.

BHRT refers to the use of hormones with molecules that are exact copies of endogenous human hormones, as opposed to synthetic or animal-derived versions with different chemical structures that are similar, but not identical. There is some controversy about whether it is safer and more effective than traditional synthetic and animal-derived versions used in past which carried increased risks of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer. Power Surge, an established online menopause community, recommends BHRT, but the North American Menopause Society does not endorse it. BHRT has some celebrity proponents, such as Suzanne Somers and Oprah Winfrey, but there are detractors who say more research needs to be done on BHRT.

A recently published study (Jan. 2009) in Postgraduate Medicine, found that physiological data and clinical outcomes demonstrate bio-identical hormones are associated with lower risks and better effectiveness than traditional ones. 

While the risks vs. benefits of BHRT must be assessed with the guidance of your doctor, many women do much better with BHRT supplementation than with the antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and osteoporosis treatments now typically used. Many circumstances and age groups can benefit: young women, women post-hysterectomy/oophorectomy, menstruating women with mood swings during phases of their cycles.

The Medicine Shoppe is a compounding pharmacy, meaning there is mixing of drugs by a pharmacist to fit the unique needs of a patient. Compounding is used for many reasons: to change the form of the medication from a solid to a liquid, to avoid a non-essential ingredient or obtain the exact dose needed.

Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy compounding allows tailoring therapy to each patient’s specific needs. Testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, and estriadol may all be needed–or only one or two of the hormones.

Pharmaceutically compounded BHRT medications come in many forms: topical creams, time released capsules, lozenges and suppositories are the most common forms.  Often, any medication needed can be combined into one or two products.

Patients should approach their physician regarding the subject. The proactive patient can also get testing done on their own hormone levels by using saliva testing kits available at a compounding pharmacy.

30+ Symptoms of Menopause

1. Hot flashes, flushes, night seats and/or cold flashes—clammy feeling

2. Irregular heartbeat

3. Irritability

4. Mood swings, sudden tears

5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)

6. Irregular periods: shorter, lighter periods; flooding; phantom 

     periods; shorter and longer cycles

7. Loss of libido

8. Dry vagina

9. Crashing fatigue

10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease

11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom

12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion

13. Disturbing memory lapses

14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing or laughing; urge incontinence

15. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons; increased tension in 

     the muscles

16. Breast tenderness

17. Headache change: increase or decrease

18. Gastrointestinal distress: indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea

19. Sudden bouts of bloat

20. Depression

21. Exacerbation of existing conditions

22. Increase in allergies

23. Weight gain

24. Hair loss or thinning—head, pubic or whole body

25. Increase in facial hair

26. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance

27. Changes in body odor

28. Tingling in the extremities

29. Gum problems, increased bleeding

30. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, 

      change in breath odor

31. Osteoporosis (after several years)

32. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier

33. Tinnitus: ringing in the ears, bells, “whooshing,” buzzing, etc.

Kevin Evetts, D.Ph., graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1982.  He received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Memphis in 1988.  Before becoming owner of The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in East Memphis in 2000, he worked as a manager and pharmacist at Walgreens.

Many Americans develop swallowing difficulties each year. Most problems fall within two broad categories: the first involves the oral phase of swallowing where the transfer of food from the mouth to the esophagus (the swallowing tube) is affected, while the second involves movement of food from the esophagus into the stomach.

Once a problem with swallowing has been identified, a doctor’s appointment should be scheduled. The first step in understanding the underlying cause is obtaining a careful history (see: key questions).

After taking a history, the health care provider can better guide the evaluation and management of the problem. If reflux symptoms are present, a trial of medication can be considered. When patients have other issues, or if those with reflux fail to respond to therapy, direct observation of swallowing in a clinic or a radiology suite is often performed.

If a problem is identified in the oral phase of swallowing, patients are often referred to speech therapists who help patients coordinate the muscles involved in swallowing and identify ideal consistencies of foods to eat based on particular diagnoses.  If problems in the transfer of food through the esophagus are identified, patients are often referred to a gastroenterologist. From there, more specialized testing such as endoscopy (looking into the esophagus and stomach with a camera) or manometry (evaluating the squeeze function of the muscles of the esophagus) can be performed.  Based on these test results, interventions can be prescribed such as management with medications, dilation of the esophagus or occasionally surgery.

Unfortunately, many people often deal with difficulty swallowing for months or years before seeking the help they need. As with most conditions, early diagnosis often allows for improved outcomes. 

Key questions in obtaining the history of a patient with abnormal swallowing symptoms:

1. Do you have problems swallowing liquids, solid foods, or both?

2. Do you experience coughing or choking when trying to swallow?

3. Do you notice that liquids are forced out your nose when trying to swallow?

4. If the sensation of food getting stuck is present, where is that sensation felt?

5. How long have you had difficulty, and is it worsening or improving?

6. What medical problems do you have and, in particular, is there any history of heartburn/reflux, diabetes, stroke, cancer, prior surgery or radiation therapy?

7. What medications are you taking?

8. Have you experienced other symptoms such as pain with swallowing, loss of appetite, vomiting of blood, chest pain or weight loss?

Christopher Miller, M.D., graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He completed an internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at Methodist Healthcare-University Hospital in Memphis, followed by a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. Learn more about him at memphisgastro.com.

Over the past 20 years of my surgery practice, I have been asked many times by my women patients undergoing abdominal surgery, “Can you take some of this off while you’re at it?” Of course, they are jokingly referring to those abdominal fat rolls that seem to persist in all of us despite weight loss, diet and exercise. Before, I would reluctantly tell them to see a plastic surgeon for liposuction or a tummy tuck (requiring general anesthesia and costing upwards of $8,000). 

Now there is an in-office or outpatient option done under local anesthesia for about half the cost. Vaser® Lipo, a form of liposuction, is safer and less traumatic due to the use of the patented Vaser® ultrasound probes which literally melt away subcutaneous fat. Slow to be adopted by plastic surgeons, it is more often done by specially trained dermatologists and general surgeons.

Most importantly, there is significantly less blood loss with the Vaser® ultrasound, as it causes less trauma to the normal tissue. Studies have shown that about 30 percent of the fluid removed in standard liposuction is blood, while in Vaser® Lipo it is only about 10 percent. Another factor making this a less risky option is the use of local tumescent anesthesia and oral sedation instead of a general anesthesia. Patients can literally walk in, have the procedure, and walk out. 

The amount of fat of that can be safely removed in    Vaser® Lipo is about three liters, whereas regular liposuction can remove up to five liters. The main side effects are soreness and numbness subsiding in two to three weeks. However, patients are usually able to get moving and even back to work in just a few days. 

Another important difference between Vaser® Lipo and regular liposuction is the amount of skin retraction and tightening seen in weeks following the procedure.  Although there is a limit to the size of fat rolls that can be reduced, even those at the upper limit will see a dramatic retraction and decrease over time. Patients obtain the best result by wearing a fitted body suit for several weeks—as the longer the patient wears it, the better the result. The most common areas of the body that are done are the upper and lower abdomen and flanks (love handles), which can usually be done all at the same time. Other common areas are the hips (saddlebags) inner thighs, back, upper arms and neck. Now when patients point to those stubborn abdominal fat rolls and ask me if I can remove them, I say “Yes!” 

Michael E. Foster, M.D., graduated from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, School of Medicine in 1983. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. He is a board-certified general surgeon with 21 years in private practice. He has developed an interest in aesthetics to help meet his patients’ wants and needs.

Efficiency, privacy, comfort and convenience are the main goals at the new location of the Women’s Health Center, a part of Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, the only East Memphis breast center accredited as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. 

The new center in 50 Humphreys Center, Suite23, is around the corner from its current location in Baptist Women’s Hospital’s physician office building. The new site not only provides a spacious, relaxing atmosphere for patients, but convenient parking, as well. 

“Instead of parking in the Women’s Hospital parking garage, patients will be able to park right outside the center in the adjacent parking areas and walk in the front doors,” said Beth Turner,administrative director of the WHC.

Planning a facility catering to patient comfort, privacy and efficiency was a top concern for Turnerand the management team. Over the course of a few years, they reviewed Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys and held focus groups to discover the areas patients felt the facility could improve. 

The management team also worked closely with Judy Kneece, president of EduCare, Inc., an organization that trains facilities and medical staff on new methods of providing high-quality breast care. After reviewing the goals and ideas Kneece provided, the staff began to implement changes to decrease wait times and keep better track of the140 to 170 patients the center generally sees on a daily basis. 

Turner suggested customizing an emergency room patient tracking board to electronically track patients and help organize care. Emergency rooms around the nation use tracking boards to reduce wait time, move patients more efficiently through the care process and keep patients and families better informed. The management team agreed, and the facility became the first in the nation to customize the McKesson Emergency Room. Tracking Board for an outpatient setting other than the emergency department.

“We are now able to know exactly how many patients we have, where they are located, their appointment time, tests ordered, who they are waiting for in the process and how long they have been waiting,” Turner said. “It has made the screening and diagnostic processes go by much faster, and we are able to organize the flow of service in a much more organized manner.” 

After meeting with Kneece, it was time to begin planning the layout and design of the new facility. Memphis architect and WHC patient Carolyn Wills of Bottletree Design Group was chosen.

 “Carolyn was phenomenal in coming up with a design that would provide us with features that were not available at our current location,” Turner said. “She used a number of architectural features to help draw patients to the correct area and provide a spacious, comforting environment.” 

Turner said Wills’ design also included a more private location for admissions, so patients would be more at ease when providing the admissions representative with health information.

 “In our current location, the admissions desk and the front waiting area are practically on top of each other, so it is harder to provide that privacy,” Turner said. “In the new building, there is much more space, which provides the necessary privacy for our patients.” 

At the current location, patients have had trouble navigating the center. Doctor’s offices, screening rooms and waiting areas are sporadically placed in different locations, making it confusing for patients and staff members, as well.

 “Our doctors like to be present after ultrasounds, so at our new location all of them have specific ultrasound rooms located right next to their offices,” Turner said. “The technical station, treatment rooms and physician offices are strategically located,as well.” 

Changing areas are large and have privacy doors, and the three divided waiting areas are things of the past.

 “Instead, we have a gallery for our diagnostic patients,” Turner said. “It provides a more comfortable setting and spa-like atmosphere.” 

The gallery has a water feature in honor of Dr. Lester Graves, which imitates the quiet sounds of a stream, as well as artwork donated by breast cancer survivors and other artists who have been touchedby breast cancer. The signature piece of the gallery will be painted live by Baptist Corporate Communications department’s senior artist Richard Fudge during the center’s annual survivor event on Sunday, August 30. 

The piece will feature the new signature pink breast cancer ribbon with a large fingerprint embedded in the ribbon, because, “each case of breast cancer is as individual as a fingerprint.” 

Medical staff members, cancer survivors and professional staff will add their own fingerprint in the paint of the ribbon to designate how breast cancer touches everyone’s lives. 

The new center also provides two recovery suites for patients after they have an invasive procedure, an amenity that was not available before. 

“Before, we had to send patients back to the diagnostic waiting room to recover,” Turner said. “Now, they will be able to recover in comfort and privacy in our recovery suites.”

 The center will continue to offer a staff of female radiologists, plus three full-time and two part-time breast health specialists who help women diagnosed with breast cancer navigate their way through the treatment and recovery process.

The moving process has already begun and Turner said they will begin treating patients at the new center August 10. For more information about the Women’s Health Center, please visit womens.baptistonline.org/services/womencare.asp.

by Lori Simpson

The roots are not covered with enamel like the top of the tooth. The root is made of tubules of dentin aiming in toward the nerve, or pulp, of the tooth. When the dentin becomes exposed as in recession, the tubules allow heat and cold or acidic foods to stimulate the nerves inside the tooth. So, when something scrapes across the end of the tubule along the gum line—you send an impulse through the tubule to the nerve. Ouch! 

This can affect the quality of your life. Are you drinking through a straw to avoid certain roots? Are you brushing with warm water? Are you avoiding opening your mouth in cold air? 

Anywhere from 50 to 88 percent of adults have some area of gum recession, which is most commonly caused by brushing incorrectly or grinding your teeth. Use of an electric toothbrush with proper technique can help prevent recession.

Many people are born with “thin”gums and tend to get recession easily. Everyone has twotypes of gum, a tough fibrous gum immediately around the teeth and lip lining beyond that. When you run out of tough fibrous gum, you may need a “gum graft” to stop the recession. 

Wear on the chewing surface can also cause sensitivity, as can bleaching teeth. Chemical erosion is another cause of root sensitivity. This can occur in people who drink excessive amounts of carbonated beverages or suck on highly acidic foods, such as lemons or limes. The acids actually eat away the protective enamel right along the gum line, leading to sensitivity.

Here are some solutions to root sensitivity:

• Cut back on carbonated beverages.

• Do not use bleaching agents onyour teeth.

• Use a good quality electric toothbrush rather than manual, as you will remove more plaque and abrade less gum, resulting in less recession.

• Use baking soda/fluoride toothpaste without silica abrasives in it. Baking soda is less abrasive than toothpaste.

• Do not use peroxide toothpastes.

• Use a fluoride gel/rinse before bed that plugs up your dentin tubules with fluoride to stop sensitivity and prevent root decay.

• Consider having guided tissue regeneration to regrow bone and gum on the root where there is recession.

Kitsie Hendrix, D.D.S., graduated from Emory University School of Dentistry, subsequently earning certification in periodontology from the University of Pennsylvania. A periodontist, Hendrix specializes in gum and dental implant surgery and has practiced for over 27 years. Passionate about people, Hendrix has traveled worldwide providing free dental care through mission work.

Customizing hip replacement to fit your anatomy

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, about 243,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed in the United States each year, a number that is predicted to rise as the baby boomers begin to experience arthritis and other degenerative joint disorders. With more  patients wanting to maintain an active lifestyle, even after hip replacement surgery, physicians are looking for ways to provide their patients with the very best when it comes to hip replacement surgery. 

Hip replacement surgery used to take a “one-size-fits-all” approach, meaning there were limited options when it came to sizing. Many surgeons felt this strategy failed to address the needs of their patients and prevented them from providing the treatment outcomes both they and the patient desired.

Today, The STATURE ™ Modular Hip Reconstruction platform, developed by Wright Medical, is allowing doctors to customize joints to specifically meet a patient’s individual needs while providing increased range of motion and reduced recovery time. 

The concept behind Wright’s STATURE™ Modular Hip Reconstruction platform is simple: no two patients are alike. 

Apurva Dalal, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement at Tri State Orthopedics in Memphis, Tenn., has been performing hip replacement surgeries for 10 years and quit using other replacement systems when he discovered STATURE™ Modular Hip platform  three years ago.

“My patients come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are large and some small, and everyone’s hip anatomy is different too,” says Dr. Dalal. “Wright’s STATURE™ system is not designed based on gender, after all, you may be a short male, or a tall female. Whether a patient is male or female, I am able to reconstruct a joint that fits each patient’s unique physical needs.” 

In addition to being able to customize STATURE™ hips based on a patient’s stature, the joint also provides patients with an increased range of motion. Wright’s hip replacement products are designed with a much larger diameter femoral head component than traditional hip replacements, so that their size and shape mimics the body’s natural anatomy much more closely. 

In contrast, traditional hip replacements have offered much more limited choices that are not modular - in that there are only three components to the system - a cup, a head and a fixed neck stem. This one-size-fits-all approach may limit the degree of success of the surgery.

In some cases, using a fixed neck system, instead of a modular neck system, may force the tendons in the hip joint to become over- or under-tensioned, resulting in an unbalanced repair. In other instances, using a fixed neck instead of a modular neck system may cause a discrepancy in leg length to occur. Any of these possible scenarios may influence the quality of your gait post-operatively or your satisfaction with your surgical result.

An additional benefit of the STATURE™ Modular Hip system, is the ability to place the implant components using tissue-preserving surgical techniques. Preventing soft-tissue damage is crucial during surgery in order to limit the amount of pain and discomfort the patient will experience after the procedure. The modular components of the STATURE™ system allow surgeons to maneuver the parts through a small incision, preserving soft tissue. Other systems may require larger incisions and more manipulation to place parts inside the patient’s joint properly, which can also affect the length of recovery from surgery.

Of course, all patients heal differently and results are never guaranteed. Only a physician can determine if this particular system is right for a patient’s situation and anatomy. For more information on this system and to have a consultation with Dr. Dalal regarding your hip please call 901-333-2525.

STATURE ™ Modular Hip Reconstruction was developed by Arlington, Tenn.-based Wright Medical Technology, Inc. Wright Medical Group, Inc., is a global orthopedic medical device company specializing in the design, manufacturing and marketing of reconstructive joint devices and biologics. The company has been in business for more than 50 years and markets its products in over 60 countries worldwide. For more information about Wright Medical, visit our website at  www.hips4fastrecovery.com.

Eileen Cashbaugh first found herself in West Clinic in 2000, staring at the antiseptic walls of treatment rooms as she assisted her mother in her battle with lung cancer. Four years later, she stared at the walls again, after finding a lump in her breast that sent her on a journey through lumpectomy, recurrence and double mastectomy. But this time, she noticed the more comforting, colorful walls full of art created by cancer patients in the waiting area, known as the Wings Gallery.

“I was thinking maybe I could do that. Maybe I could paint and have a painting there. Within a year, I had a painting in that gallery, and I was delighted and surprised I could paint something someone else would enjoy,” Cashbaugh said. In 2005, she began art classes as a stress reliever to cope with the aftermath of radical surgery and treatment. In her quest to relieve anxiety, she found a hobby in acrylics and oils that transformed into a passion and then into a career. This outlet helped her face her darkest fears.

“After cancer, there is the constant worry of recurrence, and it can take over your entire life. For me, the single most therapeutic thing I did was start painting. It occupied my mind both in front of and away from the canvas,” she said.

Cashbaugh was a nurse in both clinical and administrative settings before the cancer. She had been a nurse since 1976 as she and her husband traveled the country with his military career. Married 30 years to a Navy pilot, Cashbaugh has lived in Florida, California, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and many other places. A Memphian for 10 years, she said this is where she has lived the longest in her married life. Her husband, now retired, works as a civilian for the Department of the Navy.

Her nursing career probably did not help her anxiety about cancer, for back in the 70s and 80s when she was a medical-surgical nurse, the treatments were harsher. The surgery was more mutilating and the chances for survival were not as good. While Cashbaugh’s mother lived with her during her treatment and West Clinic, she was able to see all the advances in cancer care. There were anti-nausea drugs, and there were many more options. Treatments were less invasive.

Self-described as someone prone to anxiety, Cashbaugh used humor to soften the rough edges of her experience and release stress. Her outlook and personality comes through in her art.

“She has a quirky side–a unique sense of humor,” said Sally Hensley, L.C.S.W., programs coordinator for WINGs, who has known her for many years as a co-worker, artist and friend. “She is bright, creative and above all authentic. She is the real deal.”

Chosen 2009 Artist of the Year at the WINGs gallery, Cashbaugh’s winning painting (and our cover art) is titled “Jugularity,” a play on the word “jocularity.” The work is an interesting fusion of whimsical and medical, as a phrenology chart sections the chemo-induced bald head of the subject and a hand suspiciously looking like an X-ray holds a flower and flanks the words “Ha, ha, ha.” A long throat, jugular exposed (cancer goes for the jugular, Cashbaugh explains) is “tattooed” with the words “Take time to laugh—it is the music of the soul.” Highlighted sections of the phrenology chart are hope and mirthfulness, which the artist said “are always cancer cures for me.” She painted it on one of the anniversaries of her diagnosis.

While exhibited artists at the Wings Gallery go through a submission process and review by committee, selection of Artist of the Year is a more informal process withstaff looking for certain qualities, said Sarah Blackburn, development manager and Wings Gallery curator. 

“We really get to know the artist while they are here going through treatment. Eileen was here going through our support groups and we just love her. We are looking for cheerful and hopeful work,” she said. “We knew how she was using art to help her through her treatments. She gets it. She understands the mission of Wings. She understands the benefits of art to the patient.”

Now active in the Women with Wings Cancer Survivors group, Cashbaugh notes a new resilience in her spirit. If she had not gotten cancer, she would never have painted, she said.

“Cancer gave me a new attitude,” she said. “It helped me express myself without setting limits or feeling self-conscious, because I had nothing to lose. There was some benefit out of getting cancer.”

She has also found a new career from her cancer experience. She is one of the “Artists in Residence” at the Memphis Botanic Garden under the instruction of Marilyn Wannamaker. Cashbaugh’s work also has been displayed in group shows at the Gardens and the Wings Gallery.

Wings Cancer Foundation 

Created in 1996 as a place to provide hope, research, education and support without charge to anyone touched by cancer, Wings Cancer Foundation seeks to empower cancer patients so they can take an active part in their treatment and recovery.

Located at the West Clinic, the Foundation receives the benefit of space donated by its landlord.

“They give us space, they let us use their utilities, phone systems, internet…and that way we are right here with patients while they are receiving treatment. And funds are freed up to go to patient programs because we don’t have all the overhead,” said Sarah Blackburn, development manager and Wings Gallery curator for Wings Cancer Foundation.

“It is the best gift.”

However, patients do not need to come from the West Clinic to be served by Wings Cancer  Foundation. Men and women from all hospitals and clinics have access to the Foundation’s offerings, which help an estimated 50,000 people each year.

Some of these programs include:

• Individual, family and group counseling led by licensed clinical social workers and professional facilitators

• A lending library of educational and inspirational material

• A labyrinth garden for introspection

• Exercise, yoga and tai chi classes for patients to slowly rebuild strength

• Boutique for wigs, hats and scarves

• Free or low cost mastectomy prosthesis and supplies

• Nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian with training in oncology

• Crisis intervention

• Hospital visitation

• Clinical research

• Partnering program linking newly diagnosed patients to long-term cancer survivors

• Volunteer program of 250 cancer survivors and friends

• Wings Gallery displaying work of artists touched by cancer

The Wings Gallery became a reality in 2000, when Wings was recognized by Healing Environments, a nonprofit organization in California, for their ongoing efforts. The organization came to Memphis and brought art and antiques to be placed throughout the building. It was at that time, Wings took it a step further and began the Wings Gallery, asking for submissions from patients.

“I was really excited about it,” said Blackburn. “My degree is in fine arts. My cousin was working at the David Lusk gallery at the time and she helped me put up gallery molding and rods and everything we needed to develop this great space.”

Works are rotated out every six weeks and there is no lack of submissions. Currently, the Wings Gallery is booked until the end of 2010. Prospective artists fill out a form detailing how art has helped them through their experience with cancer.  A committee comprised of staff and board members review the forms and creative submissions, selecting pieces that are hopeful and cheerful.

Art also plays an important role in healing through Wings Cancer Foundation’s art therapy program. The Foundation sent their 2008 Artist of the Year, Karen Sudduth, to New York to an artist-in-residence program to learn about bringing art into health care settings. As a Wings volunteer, Sudduth created an “art cart,” cheerfully decorated and filled with small projects to give patients something therapeutic and positive on which to focus while receiving treatment. The art cart has become a means of conversation and connection.

“Chemo kills to bring us back to life. I want other people to have the chance to create something to take home,” Sudduth said.•

by Ginger Porter