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THE BARRIE EXAMINER: Saturday, January 16, 2010
Care with a lakeside view

Lakeview Surgery Centre offering an alternative in medical aid

LANCE HOLDFORTH

A Barrie surgery clinic has taken a leap forward in medical care. The Lakeview Surgery Centre opened its doors last spring, but recently received full licensing for complex surgical procedures giving them hospital equivalency status.

"Our vision is to provide a high standard of health care in the community and offer a tranquil environment to our patients," said Emad Guirguis the centre's director of surgery. "Things have been excellent. Actually, six weeks ago we received full accreditation as a medical facility just like a hospital."

The centre has been performing minor surgeries at the 1 Kempenfelt Dr. location since opening.

With the new accreditation, Guirguis said he and his staff are able to look to the future of medical technology.

"We have been doing surgery for treatment of obesity at the Alliston hospital, but will soon be bringing it here to the centre," Guirguis said. "Our vision is to provide a high standard of health care in the community and offer a tranquil environment."

Guirguis has been on staff at various hospitals including Royal Victoria Hospital, and said he has always wanted to have a state-of-the-art medical facility in his home town.

"I'm from Barrie, and coming back home and having a centre here is a dream come true," he said. "We now have a safe medical facility in Barrie with a safe environment and tranquil atmosphere."

With procedures ranging from skin cancer surgery to cosmetic surgery, Guirguis said the new addition of UltraShape Body Conturing is safe and an effective alternative to fat reduction surgery.

"The UltraShape is new as well. It uses ultra sound waves to break up fat tissue instead of surgery."

He said the centre is focused on offering clients every medical option possible by keeping up with medical technology.

"I'd like to continue and advance in studying in the top (levels) of medical technology," Dr. Guirguis said.

THE BARRIE ADVANCE:
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Surgery centre eases wait times, doctor says

MICHELE LAWSON


STAN HOWE PHOTO
Dr. Emad Guirguis has an operating theatre with a view at the Lakeview Surgery Centre.

Barrie's first general-surgery clinic, which opened in May, has just received its stamp of approval from the Canadian Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.

The Lakeview Surgery Centre, located on Kempenfelt Drive, is a privately owned stand-alone facility operated by husband and wife team Dr. Emad Guirguis (a veteran surgeon) and registered nurse Joanne Guirguis.

"I think it's a great step forward in taking the pressure off hospitals," said local dermatologist Dr. Rod Kunynetz, who has already referred patients to Guirguis for skin-cancer surgeries. "This is a big boost for us because we're able to have our patients access the much-needed procedures, such as cancer surgery, in a timely manner and in a safe environment."

The renovated house that overlooks Kempenfelt Bay is wheelchair accessible and equipped with a consultation area, operating room, and four-bed recovery room.

"It took a lot of work to turn a home into a functional, equipped and accredited surgical centre," said Guirguis, who is perhaps more well-known as a Barrie Colts team physician - a position he shares with Dr. Stewart Murdoch, director of the RVH Family Medicine Teaching Unit. "New lighting, ventilation and air-purification systems, a new elevator and numerous other changes (were done)."

Like a hospital, the new surgical centre provides OHIP-funded procedures like skin and thyroid cancer surgeries, hernia repairs, and carpal-tunnel decompressions, all which require referrals from family doctors. It is also set up to remove moles, cysts and lipomas, which may or may not be covered by the government insurance program.

"It will help alleviate the backlog at the Royal Victoria Hospital," Guirguis said. "Patients can be referred by a family doctor to our centre or to a hospital-based surgeon, based on accessibility and availability of a surgeon."

An RVH spokesperson said the hospital does not comment on private enterprises that are not affiliated with the hospital.

In order for a procedure to be done at a private surgical centre, an individual has to be otherwise healthy.

For elective surgeries, including those wanted for aesthetic purposes - like Botox shots, injectable fillers, gastric banding, UltraShape (a non-invasive alternative to liposuction) and cosmetic surgeries - patients can go directly to the centre for a consult after making an appointment by phone or via the website.

Leaving RVH after 17 years as a practising general surgeon, Guirguis said he opened the Kempenfelt Drive centre "to be able to serve the community without restrictions."

He continues to have privileges at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.

A smaller organization is able to offer more flexibility in scheduling and other patient services, he explained.

Patient Jackie LeSarge recalls recovering from thyroid surgery when office administrator Lynne Campbell walked in the room with a telephone headset in hand and said, "your dad wants to talk to you."

"My dad was thrilled - and my mom, who was also there, was too. What hospital does that?"
That said, there is a need for both types of facilities, Guirguis said.

"There are certain surgeries we just couldn't provide here. For very ill patients, for example, or for those requiring very complex procedures."

But for the rest, the Lakeview team is pleased to be able to offer an alternative.

"The result is exactly what we envisioned," says the surgeon. "We give our patients a bright and inviting, yet professional setting. They're calm, they're comfortable."

THE BARRIE EXAMINER: Thursday, May 28, 2009
Private Surgical Clinic Opens:

RAYMOND BOWE

Barrie's first privately-operated surgical clinic held an open house yesterday.

Aside from dental surgery practices, Dr. Emad Guirguis said Lakeview Surgery Centre is the only one of its kind in the city, and should take some of the stress off Royal Victoria Hospital.

"Because of the tremendous pressures on hospital resources, I thought there was a definite need for this clinic to work in concert (with RVH)," said Guirguis, a Barrie resident.

The clinic, located at 1 Kempenfelt Dr., near the intersection of Blake and Dunlop streets in east-end Barrie, will perform low-risk, minor surgeries related to hernias, skin cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome and aesthetic work such as the new "ultrashape" method to reduce "love handles", among others, he said.

RVH will continue to perform more complex surgeries and those which require hospitalization.

Guirguis will be the only surgeon at the clinic, but his wife, Joanne, who has a master's degree in nursing, will serve as the office manager with Lynne Campbell as office administrator.

Guirguis studied in Hamilton and Ottawa, and began his career as a general surgeon in 1992. He has also served as a physician with the Barrie Colts.

The open house included visits from local physicians, family doctors, nurses, friends and family. Guirguis expects it to be fully open within a week.