SGMC Welcomes Gastroenterologist

Staff Report

Tuesday, June 30th, 2020

South Georgia Medical Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Saikiran “Sai” Raghavapuram, board certified gastroenterologist. 

Dr. Sai will see patients at SGMC and at his practice, SGMC Gastroenterology, which is located in the Surgery Center at 2417 North Patterson Street in Valdosta.

Dr. Sai is fellowship-trained in Gastroenterology/Hepatology, specializing in colon health issues, gastrointestinal bleed, pancreatic issues, Hepatitis C treatment, polyp removal, liver disorders, and stomach/digestive conditions.  

Dr. Sai received his medical education from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India, and completed his internal medical residency and gastroenterology/hepatology fellowship at the University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Dr. Sai is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Gastroenterology Association.

According to Dr. Sai, his dream to become a physician began as a child. “I always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives as a doctor as health issues matter to everyone,” said Dr. Sai. “I believe God creates life and doctors repair it through His grace.” 

When choosing to specialize in gastroenterology and liver disorders, Dr. Sai said it wasn’t just interesting to study and diagnose disorders related to the gut but also gratifying to treat and bring smiles to people's faces who were suffering from such disorders. Dr. Sai believes patients should be treated as family members and values proper communication regarding disorders and treatment. 

“We are pleased to have Dr. Sai join our team. His skillset will allow our health system to provide a full range of GI procedures,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Dawson. “Dr. Sai’s skills and capabilities serve to enhance the services provided to the communities we serve and further enable us to be the region’s destination for high quality specialty care.”

Dr. Sai is married to Dr. Deepthi Gandhari, a pulmonologist and critical care doctor, who is also joining the SGMC team. Dr. Sai shared that he fell in love with Valdosta the first time he visited. “Valdosta has everything, including nice and friendly people. I felt it would be more gratifying for me to offer my services here. I also believe this is a place where my family can grow happily.”

The office is now accepting patients and will open on July 6. For more information on SGMC Gastroenterology, call 229-433-4310 or visit sgmc.org/gastroenterology.