PUBLISHED SEPT. 22, 2016
Dr. Craig Amshel to open new Absolute Surgical Specialists office
By LOIS KINDLE
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
Dr. Craig Amshel, a local resident and surgeon, is opening a larger new office at 1046 Cypress Village Blvd. so that Sun City Center and other South Shore residents who need medical procedures will be able to do so at a more convenient location and greatly reduced cost.
Years ago, Sun City Center-based surgeon Craig Amshel began feeling he needed a larger office to better serve residents of the greater Sun City Center area.
“I wanted more space to do outpatient procedures like colonoscopies and upper endoscopies without having to send patients to a hospital or surgery center,” he said. “I also wanted the office to be golf-cart accessible.”
With those goals in mind, Amshel is building a spacious new office next door to Fox & Friends Animal Hospital at 1046 Cypress Village Blvd., Ruskin (Sun City Center to most locals). It’s slated to open around Thanksgiving.
“I also wanted Sun City Center and other South Shore residents who need medical procedures to be able to do so at a more convenient location and greatly reduced cost,” Amshel said. “Currently their closest option is South Bay Hospital or a surgery center in Brandon and Bradenton. Although 80 percent is covered (for) Medicare patients, that’s not always the case (for those) with HMOs, PPOs, Medicare replacements and patients who self-pay.”
A spacious new Absolute Surgical Specialists office is currently under construction next door to Fox & Friends Animal Hospital at 1046 Cypress Village Blvd., Ruskin (Sun City Center to most locals). It’s slated to open around Thanksgiving.
For example, a typical colonoscopy costs $950 at a hospital — $750 for the hospital and $200 for the physician, Amshel said. At a surgery center, the same procedure would cost $620, $420 for the center and $200 for the doctor.
But Amshel will be doing that procedure for a total of $386, which amounts to substantial savings over the other two options.
The doctor’s new 4,000 square-foot stand-a-lone office building will include an additional 1,500 square feet of office space for lease or purchase, which will be built out to specification, Amshel said.
His procedural room will be available to other area physicians, who could use it for procedures involving pain management, minor orthopedics, plastic surgery and more.
Amshel, 48, is a local resident and businessman who has lived in Apollo Beach with his wife and two school-age children since 2005. During his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and volleyball, bicycling and skiing and spending time with his family.
“I live and shop here. I often bump into some of my patients at the grocery stores and restaurants,” he said. “My kids went to Apollo Beach Elementary School.”
He earned his medical degree at the University of Kansas in 1995 and completed his general surgical internship in Roanoke, Va. After completing his general surgery residency at the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, he fulfilled his ROTC commitment by serving two years of active duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned his fellowship in colorectal surgery at the University of Miami in 2004.
Amshel has practiced in Sun City Center since 2005. In addition to his current office at 139 S. Pebble Beach Blvd., Suite 200, he has a satellite office in Brandon at 1218 Millennium Parkway.
He specializes in all forms of colon and rectal procedures and surgery, and treats patients for numerous conditions, including fecal incontinence, constipation, diarrhea, impaction and diverticulitis.
He also specializes in general surgical procedures, including hernia repair, breast biopsies and skin biopsies, mastectomies, gall bladder removal and lap band maintenance. Two years ago, he added Botox and Juvederm treatments after patients began asking him about Botox parties in their homes or offices. He said the injections are used not only for cosmetic reasons but also to treat conditions like migraines and sweaty palms.
Amshel generally works in Sun City Center on Mondays and Wednesdays and operates Tuesdays and Thursdays at surgery centers in Brandon, Tampa and Wesley Chapel. He has office hours in Brandon on Friday.
The doctor is accepting new patients. For more information on his practice and the surgical and nonsurgical options he offers, visit absolutsurg.com. For an office appointment, call 813-633-0081. Se habla español.