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Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD

(392 Ratings)

Specializes in: Adult Endocrinology

University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine (1994)

Professional interests include: osteoporosis, cholesterol problems (lipid disorders), thyroid problems, and more.

850 Kempsville Road Suite 100e
Norfolk, VA 23502

(757) 261-5744

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD is an endocrinologist in Norfolk, VA specializing in adult endocrinology. He graduated from University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine in 1994 and has 31 years of experience. Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD is affiliated with Sentara Medical Group and Sentara Health.

Office Locations

Address:

850 Kempsville Road Suite 100e
Norfolk, VA 23502

Some issues Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD can help you with:

Thyroid Problems

Thyroid problems are a group of conditions that alter hormone regulation and metabolism. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower neck, just below the Adam's apple (laryngeal prominence) and larynx (voice box). Despite its small size, the thyroid has an outsized effect on the body by regulating hormones that control metabolism. Metabolism is the body's process of converting consumed food into fuel to power the entire body. Heart rate, weight, cholesterol, body temperature, and even physical growth and development are all affected by the metabolism.

When the thyroid malfunctions, the body is unable to properly process and allocate energy. Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cause irregular metabolism. In some cases, the body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid cells for unknown reasons. The damaged thyroid responds by releasing either too little or too much T3 and T4 thyroid hormones. Thyroid malfunctions may also arise from genetic causes or iodine deficiency. Thyroid problems may include:

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that causes hypothyroidism
Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease that causes hyperthyroidism
Goiter
Thyroid nodule
Thyroid cancer

Hashimoto's is the leading cause of hypothyroidism, which is when the thyroid does not produce enough hormones to stimulate adequate metabolism. The condition is diagnosed by blood tests that measure TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and detect Hashimoto's antibodies. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include sluggish metabolism, inflammation, fatigue, weight gain, brittle hair, dry skin, and sensitivity to cold. To supplement impaired thyroid function, patients with Hashimoto's are typically prescribed synthetic thyroid hormone pills. Such patients may need to consume synthetic thyroids for the rest of their lives. Other treatments may include dietary changes, such as the avoidance of certain foods and medication to reduce inflammation. Frequent blood tests can inform patients if their TSH levels are within a normal range.

Grave's disease is most frequently the cause of hyperthyroidism, which is when the thyroid produces too many hormones, overstimulating one's metabolism. The condition is also diagnosed by blood tests that measure TSH and detect Grave's antibodies. Elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, bulging eyes, and weight loss are common symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Treatments for hyperthyroidism include oral radioactive iodine, which slowly shrinks the thyroid, slowing the production of excess thyroid hormone. Other anti-thyroid medications such as methimazole (Tapazole) also reduce the production of thyroid hormones. Blood pressure medications known as beta blockers can ease the increased heart rate caused by hyperthyroidism. If treatments are unsuccessful, patients may be prescribed a thyroidectomy, or surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid. Some patients with hyperthyroidism may require ophthalmological (eye medicine) treatments such as eye drops, prednisone, and surgery to reduce eye swelling and bulging.

Untreated thyroid disorders frequently lead to goiters or thyroid nodules. A thyroid goiter is a large lump that can be felt near the base of the neck and is made of swollen thyroid tissue or nodules (excess cell growth). Nodules and goiters are diagnosed by CT scan or ultrasound. Obstructive goiters can cause pain, coughing, and abnormal breathing. The most common cause of goiters is hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). However, Hashimoto's is also known to cause goiters or nodules. Goiters develop from continued damage from antibodies to the thyroid over time. At times, a goiter can result from a cancerous thyroid tumor. Most goiters and nodules are themselves benign.

The exact causes of thyroid cancer are unknown. People who develop thyroid cancer may or may not have another thyroid problem such as Hashimoto's or Grave's disease. Symptoms of thyroid cancer include a nodule that can be felt on the neck, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, swelling in the neck, and neck and throat pain. CT and MRI scans are used to diagnose thyroid cancer. There are four types of thyroid cancer which vary in intensity. Thyroidectomy (thyroid removal surgery) is usually prescribed to treat thyroid cancer.

Thyroid problems are often long-term conditions that require some form of treatment. With regular monitoring and medication, many people with thyroid problems are able to lead active and fulfilling lives.

aspiration	21
diagnostic procedures	21
doctor visit	1752
hospital care	46
image guided procedures	21
inpatient care	46
minimally invasive procedures	21
minor procedures	21
musculoskeletal imaging	42
neck imaging	136
ultrasound (sonogram)	136
X-rays	42

**Gender**
Male	304
Female	505

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	496
Black	244
Hispanic	20
Asian	33
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	385
From 75 to 84	222
85 and over	55
Less than 65	147

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	73
Dementia	9
Cancer	10

aspiration	24
diagnostic procedures	24
doctor visit	1741
image guided procedures	24
minimally invasive procedures	24
minor procedures	24
musculoskeletal imaging	66
neck imaging	145
ultrasound (sonogram)	145
X-rays	66

**Gender**
Male	309
Female	543

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	541
Black	236
Hispanic	30
Asian	29
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	416
From 75 to 84	238
85 and over	55
Less than 65	143

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	71
Dementia	8
Cancer	10

aspiration	21
blood draw	21
diagnostic procedures	21
doctor visit	1674
image guided procedures	21
minimally invasive procedures	21
minor procedures	21
musculoskeletal imaging	70
neck imaging	140
ultrasound (sonogram)	140
X-rays	70

**Gender**
Male	666
Female	1072

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1056
Black	502
Hispanic	66
Asian	66
Other	48
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	898
From 75 to 84	494
85 and over	126
Less than 65	220

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	36
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	69
Dementia	9
Cancer	10

aspiration	18
blood draw	21
diagnostic procedures	18
doctor visit	1806
hospital care	14
image guided procedures	18
inpatient care	14
minimally invasive procedures	18
minor procedures	18
musculoskeletal imaging	40
neck imaging	139
ultrasound (sonogram)	139
X-rays	40

**Gender**
Male	361
Female	552

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	549
Black	263
Hispanic	37
Asian	33
Other	31
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	486
From 75 to 84	255
85 and over	61
Less than 65	111

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	50
Asthma	23
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	70
Dementia	10
Cancer	11

aspiration	18
diagnostic procedures	18
doctor visit	1814
image guided procedures	18
minimally invasive procedures	18
minor procedures	18
musculoskeletal imaging	132
neck imaging	141
ultrasound (sonogram)	141
X-rays	132

**Gender**
Male	371
Female	635

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	648
Black	253
Hispanic	36
Asian	42
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	535
From 75 to 84	303
85 and over	68
Less than 65	100

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	48
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	68
Dementia	8
Cancer	12

aspiration	13
diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	1813
image guided procedures	13
minimally invasive procedures	13
minor procedures	13
musculoskeletal imaging	244
neck imaging	88
ultrasound (sonogram)	88
X-rays	244

**Gender**
Male	386
Female	757

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	772
Black	268
Hispanic	33
Asian	38
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	597
From 75 to 84	333
85 and over	94
Less than 65	119

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	41
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	59
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

doctor visit	1789
hospital care	14
inpatient care	14
musculoskeletal imaging	291
X-rays	291

**Gender**
Male	408
Female	822

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	822
Black	293
Hispanic	43
Asian	40
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	649
From 75 to 84	360
85 and over	106
Less than 65	115

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	20
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	57
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

blood draw	15
doctor visit	1736
musculoskeletal imaging	405
X-rays	405

**Gender**
Male	398
Female	914

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	889
Black	286
Hispanic	44
Asian	0
Other	47
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	706
From 75 to 84	398
85 and over	97
Less than 65	111

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	20
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	54
Dementia	7
Cancer	13

blood draw	36
doctor visit	3364
musculoskeletal imaging	949
X-rays	949

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD treated as an endocrinologist in Norfolk, VA were X-rays, musculoskeletal imaging, ultrasound (sonogram) and neck imaging.

aspiration	19
blood draw	23
diagnostic procedures	19
doctor visit	1943
hospital care	24
image guided procedures	19
inpatient care	24
minimally invasive procedures	19
minor procedures	19
musculoskeletal imaging	248
neck imaging	131
ultrasound (sonogram)	131
X-rays	248

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD.

**Gender**
Female	580
Male	320

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	234
Asian / Pacific Islander	28
Non-Hispanic White	577
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	30
Other	15

**Age**
85 and over	66
75 to 84	260
Less than 65	106
65 to 74	467

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	10
Osteoporosis	10
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	52
Atrial Fibrillation	7
Cancer	9
Dementia	6

Education & Training

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD graduated from University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine in 1994. He completed residency at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine) - Internal Medicine and has a state license in Missouri.

Medical School: University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine (1994)

Residency: Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (2003)

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine) - Internal Medicine

Licensed In: Missouri

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Sentara Medical Group

Sentara Health

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.71 out of 5 stars based on 392 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Norfolk, VA.

4.71

Overall Rating

(392 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP	$39,850 BYDUREON $23,734	FARXIGA $14,792	BYDUREON PEN $58	CRESTOR $16	$1,250
VIVUS, Inc.	$5,547 QSYMIA $5,547
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.	$3,952 BYDUREON $2,629	ONGLYZA $1,323
VIVUS Inc	$1,464 QSYMIA $1,464
Baxter Healthcare	$298 $298
Other	$985 NATPARA $125	Contrave $122	Belviq $84	JANUMET XR $73	TRULICITY $51	Other $530

**Types of Payments**
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$45,600
Food and Beverage	$2,399
Travel and Lodging	$2,231
Honoraria	$1,350
Debt forgiveness	$298
Other	$218

Research Payments

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD has received 9 research payments totaling $76,365.

Biography

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena practices adult endocrinology in Norfolk, VA. He has a 4.5 out of 5 star average patient rating. Areas of particular interest for Dr. Gunawardena include diabetes, thyroid problems, and osteoporosis. Dr. Gunawardena is professionally affiliated with Sentara Medical Group. After completing medical school at the University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Gunawardena performed his residency at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers.

Select Year:

Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD

Office Locations

Some issues Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD can help you with:

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2013

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2014

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2015

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2016

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2017

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2018

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2019

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD in 2020

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ratnasiri Gunawardena, MD From 2013 - 2021

Education & Training

Affiliations & Hospitals

Ratings & Reviews

General Payments

Research Payments

Biography

Other Providers in Norfolk, VA