One year ago, I moved to Arizona and founded the Southwest Parathyroid Center. After spending six years at the Norman Parathyroid Center in Florida, I wanted to bring expert parathyroid care to the western U.S. I knew from extensive discussions with patients online that while some people could afford to fly to Tampa for surgery, many more were unable to do so, particularly those on the west coast.
Years prior, during a speaking engagement for parathyroid education, I had experienced the beauty of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Given its location as a travel hub for the southwest (and year-round sunny weather) Phoenix seemed a natural location to open my practice. I started operating at Banner Desert Medical Center in April 2021.
While I have helped many patients in Arizona who would not be able to travel long distances for care, I have also helped those around the globe. In the last year, I have operated on patients from 29 U.S. states, as well as patients traveling internationally from Canada and Saudi Arabia. I have consulted with patients from nine countries, from the Philippines to Jamaica.
I am honored to have so many people trust me with their care. I genuinely enjoy treating all forms of parathyroid disease. The most satisfying cases are probably the hard ones – the ones who are difficult to diagnose, or have already had one or more unsuccessful parathyroid operations, or have other medical conditions that make treatment challenging. Recently I treated a local patient who had already been refused an operation by multiple other surgeons in the area. He had already had one parathyroid operation and his current scans were negative. I cured him by removing the small remaining parathyroid tumor that was not seen during his first operation.
I love operating, but I also love treating patients who do not need surgery. Patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism have often seen multiple doctors who do not know much about the condition, so they end up getting many tests and few answers. It is immensely satisfying to be able to treat these patients, explain what is going on, and provide a clear plan for improving their health.
Over the last year I have done podcasts on bone health, online patient Q&As, Facebook Live education talks, and CME lectures for physicians. I will continue to educate both patients and doctors about parathyroid disease and calcium disorders.
To all my patients in Arizona and around the world, thank you for allowing me to care for you. This is just the first year of many for the Southwest Parathyroid Center!
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