General Practitioners

• Arthritis
• Medical Weight Loss
  Achalasia is a rare disorder in which the lower esophageal sphincter fails to relax properly, making it difficult for food and liquids to reach the stomach.  Many patients also have abnormal or absent contractions of the esophagus above the obstructed distal esophagus.   Other symptoms may also include weight loss, chest pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and chronic aspiration.
• Primary Care
  Our surgeons will work with you to diagnose, manage and if necessary operate on your general surgical condition.  We will co-ordinate with your primary care professional and specialty consultants in determining the need for and timing of surgical intervention.  If your condition requires surgery the following are general guidelines.
• Family Practice
  Lynn Castle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. She attended Physician Assistant School at Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1990 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree. She worked at the University of Pittsburgh in Critical Care Medicine before relocating to Sevierville, Tennessee, where she practiced family medicine for twelve years.
• High Cholesterol
• Colonoscopy
  Most diseases of the colon are diagnosed with one of two tests: a colonoscopy or barium enema. A colonoscope is a soft, bendable tube about the thickness of the index finger which is inserted into the anus and then advanced through the entire large intestine. A barium enema is a special X-ray where a white “milk-shake fluid” is flushed into the rectum and by using mild pressure is pushed throughout the entire large intestine. These tests allow the surgeon to look inside of the colon. Sometimes a CT scan of the abdomen will be necessary. Prior to the operation, other blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG) or a chest x-ray might be required.
• Electrocardiogram
  Preoperative preparation includes blood work, medical evaluation, chest x-ray and an EKG depending on your age and medical condition.
• Diarrhea
• Pneumonia
• Immunizations
  Immunization with a vaccine to help prevent bacterial infections after the spleen is removed should be given two weeks before surgery, if possible.

Internists

• Endoscopy
  Dr. Kleppe then completed subspecialty training at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. His fellowship training specialized in minimally invasive and advanced gastrointestinal surgery, bariatric surgery, and complex hernia. His training brings the unique skillset of surgical endoscopy to the practice, allowing for cutting edge treatments of gastrointestinal motility disorders including achalasia, gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care
• Hypothyroidism
  Hypothyroidism, or under activity of the thyroid gland, occurs when the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone.
• Thyroid
• Thyroid Cancer
  Our surgeons are experienced in minimally invasive radioguideed parathyroidectomy (MIRP),endoscopic assisted thyroid surgery, intraoperative PTH monitoring and vocal cord nerve monitoring during endocrine surgery. We have expertise in all thyroid diseases including thyroid cancer. Get Started

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  An evaluation typically includes a complete blood count (CBC), a visual look at the blood cells placed on a glass slide called a ‘smear’, and often a bone marrow examination. Sometimes an ultrasound examination of your spleen, a computerized tomography (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or nuclear scan is needed.
• MRI
  If an adrenal tumor is suspected based on symptoms or has been identified by X-ray, the patient should undergo blood and urine tests to determine if the tumor is over-producing hormones. Special X-ray tests, such as a CT scan, nuclear medicine scan, an MRI or selective venous sampling are commonly used to locate the suspected adrenal tumor.
• X-Rays
• Nuclear Medicine
  Most diseases of the pancreas are diagnosed by imaging, endoscopic and blood tests.  CT scans, ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine imaging are all useful in various pancreatic problems.  A gastroscope is a soft, bendable tube about the thickness of the index finger which is inserted into the mouth and then advanced through the esophagus and stomach to the duodenum. Endoscopic retrograde pancreaticocholangiography (ERCP) allows visualization of the pancreatic duct and common bile duct through a specialized gastroscope.  Biopsies and brushings of the ducts and pancreas can also be obtained.   Endoscopic ultrasound evaluation is often helpful.  A barium upper GI study is a special X-ray where a white “milk-shake fluid” is swallowed and pictures or videos of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum are taken. This test allows the surgeon to look inside of the upper gastrointestinal system and it may be useful.  Prior to the operation, other blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG) or a chest x-ray might be required.
• Computed Tomography
  Most diseases of the stomach are diagnosed with one of two tests: a gastroduodenoscopy or upper GI contrast study. A gastroscope is a soft, bendable tube about the thickness of the index finger which is inserted into the mouth and then advanced through the esophagus and stomach to the duodenum. A barium upper GI study is a special X-ray where a white “milk-shake fluid” is swallowed and pictures or videos of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum are taken. These tests allow the surgeon to look inside of the upper gastrointestinal system. Sometimes a CT scan of the abdomen will be necessary. Prior to the operation, other blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG) or a chest x-ray might be required.
• Radiation Therapy

Surgeons

• General Surgery
  The surgeons at University Surgeons Associates are all fully trained and board certified by the American Board of Surgery in the management of all aspects of General Surgery.  As full time faculty members of the Department of Surgery and Division of General Surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville we are constantly enhancing and maintaining our medical knowledge and surgical skills.  We are involved daily in teaching students, residents, nurses and practicing physicians the most up to date information and techniques.
• Wound Care
  Dr. Nelson has retired from the active practice of general surgery, but he continues to be affiliated with the University Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center and the University of Tennessee Center for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS).
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
  We have been leaders in minimally invasive surgery in East Tennessee for decades. The first laparoscopic gall bladder surgery in the area was done by our surgeons. Since then the laparoscopic surgeries for gastroesophageal reflux, hernias, solid organ removal and now bariatric procedures have been introduced and are common place. Get Started
• Vascular Surgery
  Dr. Tanaz Vaghaiwalla is a graduate of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoological Sciences in 2008. Her Master of Science degree in Molecular Medicine was completed in 2009 followed by her medical degree at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida in 2013. She completed the General Surgery Residency Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida in 2018, where she served as a chief resident and was the recipient of the Jagajan Karmacharya Award in Vascular Surgery.
• Robotic Surgery
  University Surgeons has been the leader in robotic surgery in East Tennessee. Your surgeon can now operate using only 1-2 cm incisions but with greater precision and control. Da Vinci® robotic assisted surgery is a new technique that allows for more precision in minimally invasive procedures Get Started
• Laparoscopy
  The surgeons at University Surgeons Associates, PC are experienced in using laparoscopic techniques to treat problems of the stomach and duodenum. They participate regularly in a multidisciplinary GI conference that reviews imaging, endoscopic findings and biopsies with the gastroenterologists, radiologists and pathologists. We utilize laparoscopy to treat bleeding, ulcers and tumors in this region.

Plastic Surgeons

• Botox
  Endoscopic injection of botulinum toxininto the lower sphincter to weaken it is effective.  Treatment with botulinum toxin is safe, but the effects on the sphincter often last only for months, and additional injections with botulinum toxin may be necessary. Injection is a good option for patients who are very elderly or are at high risk for surgery...
• Breast Surgery
  The breast surgeons at University Surgeons Associates provide surgical expertise to women with breast problems, including breast cancer. They participate weekly in a multidisciplinary breast conference that reviews breast imaging and biopsies with the radiologists and pathologists. Get Started
• Laparoscopic Surgery
  The surgeons of University Surgeons Associates, PC have provided quality surgical care to the people of East Tennessee for over 30 years.  They have provided innovative procedures to thousands of patients.  As faculty members of The University of Tennessee, they have trained more than seventy-five surgeons, many of whom have gone into practice in East Tennessee and  many of whom have gone on to teach at other academic centers.  Working in an academic medical center means we hold ourselves to the highest standard.  We research and study our outcomes, and therefore improve on patient care.  Having the responsibility to teach doctors and students the newest techniques and procedures keeps our minds and skills at the highest level.  We have the opportunity to discuss our patient care plans with other specialists to produce a comprehensive surgical and medical plan.  We are convinced that this provides the expertise you desire for yourself and your family. University Surgeons Associates are innovators that develop and bring new and uncommon procedures to this region.  Some of these procedures in the past have required traveling to academic medical centers out of this area.  By our providing those innovative procedures you can stay closer to home and relatives to receive the most advanced procedures. Some of these include: laparoscopic gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding for morbid obesity, laparoscopic Heller myotomy for achalasia, laparoscopic gastric pacemaker for gastroparesis, minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy, laparoscopic adrenalectomy for adrenal tumors, single incision laparoscopic surgery and other advanced laparoscopic procedures.
• Bariatric Surgery
  For additional information on surgical treatment for morbid obesity, please refer to the National Institutes of Health ( www.nih.gov ) or the American Society for Bariatric Surgery ( www.asbs.org ).

Dermatologists

• Cyst
• Eczema