An often-overlooked but transformative part of the pharmaceutical world is compounding — custom medications tailored to individual patient needs.

In this episode of Florida Health Care Insider, presented by Cleveland Clinic in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, three Cleveland Clinic experts join to discuss the benefits, science and patient success stories of compounded pharmaceuticals.

The episode features:

· Charles Gowans, regional director for outpatient pharmacy

· Dr. Brian Leo, section head for surgical sports medicine

· Dr. Michael Dakkak, primary care sports medicine staff

One such benefit of compounded pharmaceuticals is the ability to target pain with a topical formula rather than an oral medication.

“When you apply (topical medication) to the knee, you're getting therapeutic levels at that application point, and that's where you want it,” Gowans says.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

· What makes Cleveland Clinic’s compounded formulations superior for pain management (1:41)

· How knowledge about mixing has evolved and improved (7:52)

· What types of patients benefit from compounded medications (14:30)

· How compound medications can address challenges for orthopedic injuries (22:43)

Kidney cancer is the eighth most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S., and the number of new cases appears to be increasing each year.

In this episode of Florida Health Care Insider, presented by Cleveland Clinic in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Dr. Khaled Refaai, a urologist and kidney transplant specialist at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, shares the innovative ways to treat kidney cancer – such as using robot-assisted surgery for more precision.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

· Early indicators of kidney cancer (1:05)

· Risk factors that might make someone more susceptible to kidney cancer (4:52)

· The benefits of robot-assisted kidney surgery (6:13)

· How treatment is determined for each patient (10:02)

· Advancements in surgery for kidney cancer (12:33)

The world of heart transplants is changing, and a Cleveland Clinic physician is leading the way.

In this episode of Florida Health Care Insider, presented by Cleveland Clinic in partnership with The South Florida Business Journal, Dr. Antonio Polanco, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, discusses emerging technologies that make donation-after-circulatory-death (DCD) transplants possible and how this type of transplant can benefit patients.

“My hope is that we can make heart transplants a reality for more patients who have been waiting a really long time,” Polanco said.

Listen to hear more about:

- What DCD heart transplantation entails (1:32)

- How new technologies make these transplants possible (5:16)

- Differences for patients receiving DCD heart transplants (13:00)

- The impact of pushing new procedures forward (19:45)

As the rate of hernia surgeries in the U.S. increases, Cleveland Clinic’s board-certified surgeons are leading the way in solutions and surgical techniques.

“We look at every hernia differently and say, ‘What do I think is going to be the best repair for that patient?’” said Dr. Eric Owings, chief of surgery at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital.

In this episode of Florida Health Care Insider, presented by Cleveland Clinic in partnership with The South Florida Business Journal, Owings discusses the different approaches to repairing hernias and how they are changing patient lives for the better.

Listen to hear about:

- The different types of hernias (2:36)

- Hernia repairs with robotics (5:42)

- How the Cleveland Clinic team manages complex cases (11:31)

- Patient success stories (14:54)

About one in eight men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the United States.

“Having a first-degree relative with prostate cancer significantly increases the patient’s possibility of having prostate cancer. That’s why it’s so important to undertake screening,” says Dr. Carrington Mason, a urologist with Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital.

In this episode of Florida Health Care Insider, presented by Cleveland Clinic Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Mason is joined by Dr. Jamil Syed, also a urologist with Cleveland Clinic, to discuss the alternative methods to treating prostate disease successfully.

Listen to this episode to hear about:

· Why patients are choosing active monitoring over traditional routine screening (11:58)

· Focal therapy treatment (16:16)

· How Cleveland Clinic treats prostate disease (19:10)

Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Alfin Jeyaseelan was one of them.

Jeyaseelan, an otherwise healthy young man, experienced his stroke at just 25 years of age. Although his symptoms were atypical, his mother insisted they call the paramedics. Jeyaseelan soon was admitted to the Stroke Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, where the life-saving care and treatment he received allowed him to make a full recovery.

“It's been almost five months since my stroke, and I still think about it quite frequently,” Jeyaseelan said. “And I thank God every day that it went the way it did. In my life, it was a miracle.”

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Jeyaseelan joins Dr. Michal Obrzut, section head of the Neurointerventional Radiology Department at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, to discuss his stroke and subsequent recovery. They also explore the innovative work taking place at the Stroke Center and how to spot the signs of a stroke. “It's really important to be aware of the symptoms of stroke, especially since now we have a treatment that can change it and take it away as if it had never happened,” Obrzut said.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Jeyaseelan’s life after stroke (14:49)
• Revolutionary treatment methods for stroke (18:30)
• The multidisciplinary treatment approach at the Stroke Center (22:54)
• Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke (26:59)

Click here to learn more about the Stroke Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services.The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship.This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines.If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately.It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement ofCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health Systemor theSouth Florida Business Journalpolicy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation byCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health Systemor the South Florida Business Journal.This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast andCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journaldisclaim any liabilities to any parties.

There are headaches. And then, for almost 40 million Americans, there are migraines.

“A migraine is more than just a simple or even a bad headache. For some people, it can be a debilitating neurological dysfunction that can significantly impact daily life,” says Anam Baig, MD, a neurologist with the Headache and Facial Pain Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Dr. Baig discusses migraines’ myriad causes and symptoms, and existing and potential future remedies.

Dr. Baig says one of the most exciting recent developments for treating migraines is Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) inhibitors. These medications block the effect of the CGRP molecule, one factor that causes migraines. Botox injections are another option that Dr. Baig says can be highly effective for some people.

Before any treatment is administered, patients undergo detailed, individualized evaluations to uncover potential causes or “triggers” and their unique symptoms - and then determine treatment plans.

“Our number-one goal is to create a holistic treatment plan that fits the patient and delivers the relief they’re seeking,” Dr. Baig says.
Listen to this episode to hear about:

• Some surprising migraine triggers (4:40)
• The latest medical treatments (9:15)
• Feedback from patients at the Headache and Facial Pain Center (13:30)

Learn more here about the Headache and Pain Facial Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services. The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal. This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast and Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal disclaim any liabilities to any parties.

For Dr. Nicolas Brozzi and heart-transplant recipient Anamaria Hernandez, April – National Organ Donor Awareness Month has personal significance.

“Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States and developed countries throughout the world,” says Brozzi, a cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher with Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Heart Transplant Program. “Although much progress has been made in treating cardiovascular disease, we continue to live with many risk factors and are working hard to defeat it.”

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Brozzi and Hernandez share insights into the impact of organ transplants and donations.

“I'm eight months post-heart transplant now, and I feel great,” says Hernandez, whose surgery took place at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital following a lifetime of debilitating, heart-related problems that threatened her life.

Despite the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Dr. Brozzi says advances in medical interventions are providing more treatment options for patients.

“Medicine continues to evolve at a very rapid pace,” Dr. Brozzi says. “There is opportunity to modify risk factors and prevent heart disease from advancing to late stages.”

Listen to this episode to hear about:

• Heart conditions that can lead to patients becoming-transplant candidates (10:58)
• The multidisciplinary nature of heart transplant procedures (16:53)

Click here to learn more about Cleveland Clinic’s Transplant Center in Weston Hospital.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services. The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal. This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast and Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal disclaim any liabilities to any parties.