Cholesterol disorders are closely linked to heart attack and stroke risk.  IMSWF uses traditional and advanced cholesterol testing to evaluate your risk for this most common cause of suffering and death.  Dr. Raymond Kordonowy is also board certified as a Clinical Lipidologist ( a developing sub-specialty of atherosclerosis risk assessment and lipid management).

Blood testing for diabetes is readily available at IMSWF. Glucose tolerance testing is also a service we provide for those persons with questionable diabetes.  A syndrome that carries equivalent vascular risk as diabetes known as the Metabolic Syndrome is something we are also very much aware of.  Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome are strongly linked to heart attack and other blood vessel disease.

Internal Medicine of Southwest Florida is proud to offer state of the art dietary management on site.

Patients who can benefit from this service include: persons who are obese, overweight, diabetic, or have cholesterol/triglyceride disorders.  Physician supervised dietitian counseling is often a Medicare covered service (as well as other 3rd party insurance payers).

For the past several months Marcy Russo, licensed Dietitian and Certified Diabetic Educator, has been seeing our patients for dietary counseling.  She has extensive experience and we are proud to have her on “out team”.  She is available on Thursdays and Fridays during regular business hours.

We are approaching dietary management scientifically using various innovative methods.  One such method is our metabolic rate machine which allows us to prescribe the proper caloric diet.  Proper weight management is a recognized means of improving a person’s blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  Being overweight and having abnormal blood sugar and cholesterol metabolism is highly linked to premature vascular disease including: heart attack, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and leg artery insufficiency.

The electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is useful to evaluate heart rate, rhythm and certain types of injury/abnormalities.  It is often ordered to monitor certain medications as well. This common tool is readily available in each physician's office.

This drug is used in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and/or osteopenia in women.  Studies were done multinationally on women aged 65-89 years for a period of three years to assess the effectiveness of the medication. Recently Reclast® has been approved for treatment of osteoporosis in our male patients as well.

Reclast® is a 5 mg. intravenous medication that is FDA approved and is administered once a year.  Once given, there is no need for another osteoporosis medication to be taken by mouth or intravenously throughout the following year.  As with all medication there are risks involved and any of our clinical staff members or your physician will be glad to discuss those with you. Any patient that has significant kidney insufficiency or patients receiving heart rhythm medications are not good candidates for this treatment.

Medicare Part B has approved coverage for the medication.  The cost of the annual infusion is comparable to purchasing pill therapy from a pharmacy for one year. Internal Medicine of Southwest Florida infused patients within the medical practice in 2009 and we will continue to offer this valuable treatment plan for our patients afflicted with osteoporosis or osteopenia. 

If this is a service you would like to know more about, please contact us.  If you would like to request this service please submit a
Service Request Form.

Internal Medicine of Southwest Florida has been providing bone densitometry screening since approximately 1998.
Bone densitometry is a simple x-ray test which provides a computerized image and measurement of bone density.  Bone density correlates with the disease known as osteoporosis.  The bone density test known as a DEXA scan is used to define/diagnose osteoporosis.  Osteoporosis is very common in post-menopausal women.  Treatment for osteoporosis has significantly diminished the incidence of fractures in patients on treatment.  Current guidelines recommend men age 70 and over be screened for this disease as well.

IMSWF offers a once a year intravenous office infusion to patients with osteoporosis.  See Reclast below.

Stress Testing is ordered to evaluate for coronary artery disease (artery blockages). We provide this service at our office location. Questions regarding this procedure can be explained by your physician.  Stress Testing can be done without the addition of Nuclear Cardiology Imaging, but the two are often combined to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Nuclear Cardiology Imaging includes Cardiolyte stress testing, MUGA testing and Persantine Cardiolyte testing.  Cardiolyte is used to add diagnostic accuracy to treadmill stress testing. MUGA scanning is uses to assess heart muscle function. Persantine Cardiolyte testing is a technique that allows evaluation of the coronaries if a patient is unable to walk on a treadmill due to orthopedic or other physical limitations. All these advanced technologies are available on-site for our patients. This technology is performed and interpreted jointly with IMSWF and Florida Radiology Consultants.