Sarasota's Top Doctors 2011

A competitive market benefits consumers, and that’s abundantly evident in Sarasota’s healthcare industry, which has attracted more than its share of gifted physicians. After all, doctors love beautiful weather and topnotch culture as much as the rest of us. But that’s not all that draws them here: Award-winning hospitals, groundbreaking medical research and, of course, a significant number of talented peers increase the area’s appeal. Doctors who could practice anywhere come here to challenge themselves—and each other—to be the very best. That means that not only do we have some of the best doctors in the country, but also they’re happy to work and live in Southwest Florida—even if it means a little healthy competition.

The achievements of local physicians, and their passion for the area, are evident in this annual listing of Castle-Connolly’s Top Doctors. This year’s listing includes 97 Sarasota and Manatee physicians who were nominated by their peers and then thoroughly vetted by Castle-Connolly Medical, a national medical research firm that specializes in marrying career accomplishments with peer review. These doctors are not chosen simply for their resumes; they’re also nominated based on their dedication and their care as observed by their fellow doctors. They’re an accomplished and inspiring group, and we laud them for their dedication to their calling and our community.

In addition to presenting the listing of top doctors, we asked four physicians how recent medical breakthroughs have affected their practice and the lives of their patients. Their stories are uplifting examples of the care and compassion these doctors dedicate to their work. You can also read about how research going on right here in Sarasota is creating even more medical breakthroughs that will benefit people all over the world.

Plus, we peeked into some of our top doctors’ lives to see what invigorates them when they’re not practicing medicine.

We hope this feature serves as an introduction to our talented medical community, but it’s by no means the full extent of the area’s excellent physicians. As always, you are the final authority about your own healthcare, and we encourage you to find the physician who best suits your needs, your preferences and your personality. You need look no further than these pages to see just how great the right doctor’s influence can be.

Breakthrough

Open Heart 
New heart-surgery technology saves a young boy who 15 years ago would have died. 

In 2004, Nissi Luvavali was born in Sarasota with hypoplastic left heart syndrome—an undersized lower ventricle choking off his body’s supply of oxygenated blood. His parents, recent Kenyan immigrants, came to pediatrician Dr. Patricia Blanco.

As a resident at All Children’s Hospital in the early 1990s, Blanco had taken care of a child with the same congenital defect. “There was very little we could offer back then,” she says. “He went on palliative care and died.”

But surgical practices have improved drastically. “It’s amazing how medicine evolves,” Blanco says. Thanks to a more effective heart/lung machine and stronger, more intricate surgical grafts, Nissi’s condition was now treatable through a series of open-heart surgeries. He underwent his first surgery just four days after birth.

Hypoplastic children are sometimes called “blue babies.” While most people have blood oxygen levels of 98 or 99 percent, theirs can be in the 70s and 80s. Even with today’s improved practices, the hypoxia remains until an afflicted child’s final surgery, three or four years after birth, and can affect IQ and other brain functions. That’s a huge worry for parents and surgeons. 

For four years, while Nissi’s mother worked as a professor, his father stayed at home and looked after him. Despite his vulnerability, the little boy thrived. “This kid was talking to me at age three, reciting continents and states the way some kids tell you their ABCs,” says Blanco. When nurses gave him his shots, Nissi would respond with a polite, “Thank you.”

 In 2008, he underwent his sixth and final operation.

“My entire office was praying for him,” says Blanco. “He’s been an inspiration to us.”

Now, at age six, Nissi’s blood oxygen is normal. He attends New Gate School and is a talented pianist. “He loves math,” Blanco boasts. “Most kids get ‘white coat phobia’ because they’ve been hurt so much. He’s had his sternum opened multiple times, and he just walks right in here.”