Blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates through the body’s heart, arteries,
veins, and capillaries. It transports nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vitamins,
antibodies, heat and oxygen to the body’s tissues while carrying away harmful waste
matter and carbon dioxide.
Blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates through the body’s heart, arteries,
veins, and capillaries. It transports nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vitamins,
antibodies, heat and oxygen to the body’s tissues while carrying away harmful waste
matter and carbon dioxide.
Our Approach
Because the functions of the blood are extremely complex, blood disorders often require
specialized clinical care. Examples of these conditions include benign (non-cancerous)
disorders, as well as cancers that occur in the blood.
We provide comprehensive care services for the treatment of bleeding and clotting
disorders and sickle cell disease.
Hemoglobinopathy
The Titus H.J. Huisman Hemoglobinopathy Laboratory is named for its founder and longtime director. Dr. Huisman died in 1999 but left
an indelible legacy as a tireless and devoted researcher.
The Sickle Cell Center Laboratory at the Augusta University Medical Center is an international
testing and reference center for sickle cell disease, thalassemia and other hemoglobin
disorders. The laboratory, one of few in the country that studies abnormal hemoglobins,
is a resource for researchers and clinicians throughout the country and beyond. The
laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Abdullah Kutlar, is CAP- and CLIA-certified,
fully qualified to offer expert assistance to hemoglobin specialists worldwide.
The expert staff at the Titus H.J. Huisman Hemoglobinopathy Laboratory is ready and
eager to serve your hemoglobinopathy testing needs.
Hemoglobinopathy Testing
- Isoelectric Focusing (IEF)
- Beta Globin Sequencing
- cDNA Sequencing for Unknown Variants
- Deletional Alpha Thalassemias (-3.7, SEA or MED)
- Beta Globin Haplotyping
- Quantitative Hemoglobin Testing (HPLC and rp-HPLC)
- Unstable Hemoglobin Screen (Isopropanol)
- Oxygen Affinity Testing (p50)
- Alpha Globin Sequencing
Other Testing
- MTHFR (677 Mutation)
- Hemochromatosis (HFE C282Y and H63D Mutations)
- Factor V Leiden
- Factor V Rsa Polymorphism
- Prothrombin 20210
- Erythropoietin Assay
- 2,3 DPG (Red Cell
To contact the laboratory, please call 706-721-9640.
Hemophilia Treatment Center
Our comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Center strives to improve the quality of life
for patients affected by hemophilia and its related bleeding disorders and complications.
We offer a variety of services such as personalized care, counseling and educational
programs – just to name a few.
Our full-time physician and center director, Abdullah Kutlar, MD has extensive experience in the management of bleeding disorders. He is board certified
in Hematology and Internal Medicine.
Schedule an Appointment
Call 706-721-2171 to speak to a member of our Hemophilia CARE team. The Augusta University Adult Hemophilia
Clinic maintains a flexible clinic schedule and is available for consultation. Our
office is open Monday through Friday with a hematologist on call 24 hours a day.
Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a sex-linked, genetic bleeding disorder characterized by a deficiency
or absence of one of the clotting proteins in plasma. The result is delayed clotting
in an affected individual. While deficiencies can occur in any of the clotting proteins,
factor VIII deficiency (Hemophilia A) and factor IX deficiency (Hemophilia B) are
the most common. The frequency of factor VIII deficiency is thought to be approximately
1 per 10,000 male births; for factor IX deficiency, the frequency is approximately
1 per 30,000 male births. Although hemophilia occurs predominately in males, females
can carry the gene which causes hemophilia and pass it along to their offspring. Hemophilia
is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure at this time. However, it can be
treated. With proper medical care, a person with hemophilia can look forward to a
normal life into adulthood. The goals of treatment are early recognition of bleeding
episodes and appropriate, timely intervention to prevent complications. The effects
of untreated bleeding in a person's joints are debilitating. Joint damage can be a
major long-term problem for someone with hemophilia. |
Von Willebrand Disease
Von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. Von Willebrand
Disease is generally inherited on an autosomal basis and thus occurs with equal frequency
and severity in males and females. The disease is due to a reduction or abnormality
of a glycoprotein (called von Willebrand factor or vWf) in the blood that is necessary
for normal platelet function. Because this protein serves as a stabilizer of factor
VIII, vWf activity in the blood is ordinarily decreased in proportion to the reduction
in measurable factor VIII. Symptomatic patients with von Willebrand Disease will usually
present with bleeding from the mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, or urinary
tract. They often have a history of easy bruisability, epistaxis, menorrhagia, or
excessive bleeding after surgical or dental procedures. People with vWD rarely experience
the joint and muscle bleeding frequently observed in people with hemophilia. |
Adult Clinical Services
- Our physician, nurse and social worker are available to provide personalized medical
care, emotional support, and education about hemophilia and related bleeding disorders.
- Referrals for genetic counseling and information about carrier testing are available.
- Confidential HIV-antibody testing for patients, spouses/partners and family members
is available.
- An assortment of literature concerning hemophilia, related bleeding disorders and
HIV is available free of charge for patients and other interested persons.
- The Hemophilia Handbook is available free of charge to all patients living in Georgia.
Medical and Nursing Services
- Our nurse and social worker can provide updated information on HIV/AIDS treatments
and protocols and offer private education and counseling sessions.
- We can provide written guidelines for the treatment of hemophilia and related bleeding
disorders to local emergency rooms or private physicians.
- Our nurse can provide in-service education on bleeding disorders for emergency room
staff, nursing personnel, and other medical professionals.
- A Physician-to-Physician hotline is available 24 hours a day. An emergency room or
personal physician may call this hotline for assistance in the medical management
of problems related to hemophilia.
Community and Educational/Career Services
- Our nurse and social worker can conduct educational sessions in the community regarding
bleeding disorders and their complications.
- Vocational counseling and referrals are available to patients who wish to explore
career and educational opportunities.
Pediatric Clinical Services
Our Pediatric Comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Center is a part of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia and offers a variety of services
including:
- Diagnosis, evaluation and management strategies to all hereditary hemorrhagic or thrombotic
disorders
- Comprehensive annual evaluation including medical, social, nursing, dental, nutritional,
physical therapy, surgical and genetic evaluation
- Routine follow-up and management of bleeding or thrombotic disorders
- Evaluation and management of complications associated with bleeding or thrombotic
disorders
- Referral to multiple pediatric subspecialties
- Physical therapy
- Multidisciplinary approach to hemostatic disorders requiring surgery
- Information regarding current clinical trials
Sickle Cell Center
Augusta University Sickle Cell Center was established in 1972. The center incorporates the work of faculty from various
disciplines, including medicine, pediatrics, neurology, molecular biology, and other
specialties. This teamwork results in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach
to patient care, research and education.
Schedule an Appointment Now
