About the Program

Surgical Service of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville and Lake City VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), is comprised of ten surgical subspecialty sections dedicated to providing the highest quality, veteran-centered surgical care throughout the system.  Surgical Service provides perioperative care to eligible veterans within the designated primary service area and beyond as deemed medically appropriate and/or necessary.  Care is provided to inpatients, outpatients, and Nursing Home Care Unit residents at the Gainesville and Lake City VAMCs.

Services Offered

Surgical Service subspecialty section descriptions are detailed below.

Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Section in Gainesville provides a full spectrum of complex cardiac (heart surgery) and thoracic (chest) surgery care within the region.  The CT surgical staff consists of 2 full time attending physicians, a nurse practicioner, a physicians assistant, and UF fellows and physicians in training.  Our commitment is to provide the highest quality, data driven, and family centered care for the veterans of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.

ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat/Otolaryngology)

The ENT Section offers evidence based health care to ensure our veterans receive the highest quality service available.  This specialty section provides a full spectrum of office and surgical procedures.  Our team of providers perform percutaneous eustachian tube placement, biopsies and endoscopes for definitive diagnosis.  The ENT surgical staff routinely perform septorhinoplasty, direct layrngoscopic biopsies, esophageal dilation, sinus surgery and neck dissection for cancer treatment.  Our multidisciplinary approach to treatment and follow-up promotes optimal outcomes for our veterans.

General Surgery

The General Surgery Section provides support to the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System involving those related services as defined by the American Board of Surgery.  The service areas fall under three broad groups, including: acute care surgical conditions, surgical oncology, and general surgery proper.  In addition to the clinical mission, the section is a full participant in the mission of education with full University affiliation.  The section is active in the VA missions of clinical and basic science research.

Gynecology Surgery

The Gynecology Surgery Section offers our growing female veteran population a wide variety of clinic and surgical services.  This is a specialty consult service that offers the full spectrum of office and surgical procedures.  Management of abnormal pap smears, hormone replacement, fibroids, urinary incontinence, and contraception are just some of the services available.  The Gynecology team is involved with patient education and expanding services to women veterans within our healthcare system.

Neurological Surgery

The Neurological Surgery Section at the NF/SGVHS is a service dedicated to providing compassionate, timely, evidence based, and technically superb neurosurgical care to veterans with disorders of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, including their supporting structures and vascular supply.  The physicians providing care on the service possess significant expertise and experience in the management of disorders of the brain, meninges, and skull to include the skull base.  The service physicians also possess an extensive level of experience and expertise in the evaluation and treatment (both surgical and endovascular) of occlusive and hemorrhagic disorders of the extracranial and intracranial vasculature that supplies the brain and spinal cord.  Additionally, similar experience and expertise exist in the diagnosis, evaluation, and surgical treatment of disorders of the spine and peripheral nerves.

Ophthalmology

The Ophthalmology Section of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System offers a comprehensive service for the management of medical and surgical disorders of the eyes and the visual system.  In addition to state-of-the art cataract surgery, we offer a consultation service with advanced diagnostics, directed by subspecialty consultants in cornea, glaucoma, retinal disorders, and oculoplastics.  We also have a model program in visual rehabilitation.

Orthopaedic Surgery

The Orthopaedic Surgery Section provides patient-centered care for disorders of the musculoskeletal system.  Disorders which are commonly evaluated include acute fractures of both the upper and lower extremities, ligamentous instability and other internal derangements of the knee and shoulder including rotator cuff pathology, as well as upper extremity joint reconstruction.  Our team also provides evaluation and treatment of arthritic disorders including joint replacement surgery with emphasis on comprehensive rehabilitation.

Plastic Surgery

The Plastic Surgery Section provides specialty care for veterans in need of evaluation, management, and treatment of: diseases of the hand, facial skin cancers, and reconstruction after malignancy or trauma.   Hand pathology we routinely diagnose, manage, and treat include nerve compressions, arthritis, tendonitis, Dupuytren's disease, and ganglions.  We treat the spectrum of facial skin cancers including basal cells, squamous cells, and melanomas.  We evaluate and treat acute facial fractures.  We coordinate efforts with the general surgeons to provide comprehensive breast cancer management including expander and autologous tissue reconstructions.  Our service helps manage and treat acute and chronic wounds.  Fellows from the University of Florida rotate through the VA service for a total of 12 months out of their plastic surgery fellowship and are supervised by attendings with backgrounds in general surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and hand surgery.  

Podiatry

The Podiatry Section in Gainesville and Lake City now has two components: General Podiatry and Surgical Podiatry.  Our well trained Podiatric Physicians are able to offer the specialty care to our veterans in managing and treating diseases of the foot, ankle and lower leg.  The General Podiatrists manage services such as diabetic foot care, heel pain, dermatologic conditions, foot and nail fungus and minor tendonitis and sprains.  The Surgical Podiatrist will provide more advanced intervention in rheumatoid arthritis reconstruction, foot and ankle fractures, ankle stabilization, bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, nerve compression about the ankle, ganglions and other soft tissue cysts, skin cancer and preventive surgical procedures to reduce the risks of diabetic foot ulcers.   The Podiatric Physicians work closely with all physicians to manage your complete care and be sure to get you back on your feet and walking.

Surgical Inpatient Care

The Surgical Inpatient Care Section consists of board-certified Critical Care specialists who treat patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Units, supporting the other Sections in their mission.  We also assist in coordination of treatment throughout the rest of the inpatient stay, ensuring that our patients receive consistently safe, high-quality and efficient hospital care.

Urology Surgery

The Urology Surgery Section offers both clinical and surgical expertise to treat a wide spectrum of urologic issues for men and women.  We offer quality care to patients with urologic cancers, stone disease and voiding dysfunction while utilizing a multidisciplinary approach.  We offer minimally invasive therapy and injection therapy for symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement/hypertrophy.

Vascular Surgery

The Vascular Surgery Section of the Malcom Randall VAMC in Gainesville offers evidence based optimal care of the patient with vascular disease.  We excel in comprehensive care for the patient with aneurysms, extracranial cerebrovascular disease, and arterial occlusive disease.