Gastroenterologist Serving Sebring, FL

Patients from Sebring and Highlands County often drive about an hour east to Okeechobee for gastroenterology care — because advanced GI services are hard to find locally. At Gastro in Florida, Dr. Vikram Tarugu, a board-certified gastroenterologist with more than 20 years of experience and more than 20,000 procedures performed, offers colonoscopy, upper endoscopy (EGD), ERCP, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for patients from Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid. There is no office in Sebring: your consultation and follow-up can start with a televisit, and your procedure is done in one trip — colonoscopy and upper endoscopy in our Okeechobee outpatient endoscopy suite, and hospital-based procedures at HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital in Okeechobee or at Wellington Regional Medical Center — whichever is closer to you. Most insurance plans do not require a referral — call us and we will check yours. Screening colonoscopy should start at age 45, and our self-pay colonoscopy starts at $600 for patients without insurance. Most major insurance is accepted. Our office is at 201 SW 16th St, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Call (863) 824-3447 to schedule.

The Drive from Sebring to Okeechobee: US-98 South, About an Hour

The drive from Sebring to our Okeechobee office, 201 SW 16th St, Okeechobee, FL 34974, is about an hour (about 57 minutes, about 49 miles) in usual traffic, according to Google Maps. The fastest route is southeast on US-98 S, then onto SW 16th Street — turn right onto SW 16th Street and the office is on your left. An alternative, about an hour and five minutes (about 54 miles), is US-27 S and then FL-70 E. Allow extra time in the morning, and remember that you will need a driver for the trip home after any procedure done with sedation — you cannot drive yourself home, and the drive back to Sebring is too long to attempt after sedation. If the drive, or the prep the day before, will be difficult for you, tell us when you book; we will help you plan around it, including a televisit consultation first so the trip is only needed for the procedure itself.

Advanced Care That Is Hard to Find in Highlands County

Sebring patients often make the drive because the procedure they need is not available locally. Dr. Tarugu is trained in advanced therapeutic endoscopy, and he performs ERCP for bile duct stones and blockages, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for pancreatic cysts and masses and for staging, and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for larger polyps and early lesions that cannot be removed by an ordinary colonoscopy. Those hospital-based procedures are performed in the hospital, not in the office suite, with an office consultation first. Colonoscopy and upper endoscopy (EGD) are done in our Okeechobee outpatient endoscopy suite with sedation and same-day results, so a single drive covers the procedure and the answer. If you have been told a polyp is too large to remove where you are, or that you need surgery for a lesion that might be removable by endoscopy, ask us for a second opinion — that is exactly the kind of case Dr. Tarugu’s advanced endoscopy practice is built for.

Patient Story: Gloria Perez, Sebring

Gloria Perez, from Sebring, had a large colon polyp that Dr. Tarugu removed by ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection) — a technique no other physician in Sebring was able to offer her. She is now cancer-free. ESD is a hospital-based procedure, not an office procedure: Gloria was seen in consultation first in our Okeechobee office, and the ESD itself was performed in the hospital. Her story is about a large polyp that could have meant surgery elsewhere, removed by endoscopy instead — and it is why the drive east to Okeechobee was worth it for her. If you have been told you have a large polyp, or that you need surgery for a lesion in the colon, ask us for a second opinion before surgery is planned; an advanced endoscopic approach may be possible, and we will tell you honestly if it is not.

How a Visit Works for a Sebring Patient

Because there is no office in Sebring, we try to make the trip count. Your consultation can start with a televisit — a video visit with Dr. Tarugu — where appropriate, so the plan is agreed before you drive. Your procedure is then done in a single trip: colonoscopy and upper endoscopy in our Okeechobee outpatient endoscopy suite, with sedation and same-day results, and hospital-based procedures — ERCP, EUS, ESD, and EMR — in the hospital. Your follow-up, including a review of biopsy results, can often be done by televisit, so you do not have to drive again unless a visit in person is needed. Before your procedure we will give you written prep instructions; see our prep instructions page for the instructions and forms for your procedure. Screening colonoscopy should start at age 45, and colon cancer screening is one of the most common reasons Sebring patients make the trip.

Cost & Insurance

We work with most major plans — call and we will verify yours before your visit. Most plans do not require a referral — we will check yours. Screening colonoscopy is covered by many plans as a preventive service, but coverage can depend on whether a procedure is for screening or for symptoms, and on your plan’s deductible and copay, so please check with your plan and with our office in advance. For patients without insurance, self-pay colonoscopy starts at $600 at our Okeechobee office. A Scholarship/hardship program exists for qualifying patients — see our Scholarship program or ask our office for details. Hospital-based procedures may also include a hospital facility fee, so please check with the hospital and our office in advance. Our office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions — Sebring

Is there a Gastro in Florida office in Sebring?
No. There is no office in Sebring. Your consultation can start in our Okeechobee office or by televisit, procedures are done in our Okeechobee or Wellington outpatient endoscopy suites, or in the hospital for higher-risk patients, and follow-up can often be done by televisit.

How long is the drive, and do I need a driver?
The drive is about an hour (about 57 minutes, about 49 miles) via US-98 S. Yes, you need a driver: after any procedure done with sedation, a responsible adult must drive you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. The drive back to Sebring is too long to attempt after sedation.

What is ESD, and is it done in the office?
ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection) is an advanced technique for removing larger polyps and early lesions by endoscopy, without surgery. It is a hospital-based procedure, not an office procedure, and it begins with a consultation in our Okeechobee office first.

I was told I need surgery for a large polyp — should I get a second opinion?
It is worth asking. Some large polyps that cannot be removed by an ordinary colonoscopy can be removed by ESD or EMR. We will review your case honestly and tell you whether an advanced endoscopic approach may be possible, or whether surgery is the right choice.

Do I need a referral?
Most insurance plans do not require a referral — we will check yours. We work with most major plans — call and we will verify yours before your visit.

What does a colonoscopy cost without insurance?
Self-pay colonoscopy starts at $600 at our Okeechobee office. Ask our office for the full self-pay details, and about our Scholarship/hardship program for qualifying patients.

Accepting new patients. Call (863) 824-3447 to schedule your visit — call for the earliest available appointment. Our office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. If you are in Sebring or Highlands County and need a gastroenterologist, especially for a large polyp or an advanced procedure, one drive east can put an experienced endoscopist on your side.

Choosing a GI doctor? Read our guide to finding the best gastroenterologist in Florida ←

---