Piedmont Physicians Surgical Specialists of Fayetteville

L. Thomas Winger, IV, MD, FACS earned his medical degree from University of Texas at Houston, and completed his residency at Emory University in 2005. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish from Rice University, and is board certified in General Surgery.
Dr. Winger has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. Prior to joining the surgical staff at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in 2005, Dr. Winger was a Chief Resident at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Winger specializes in advanced laparoscopic surgery, including colon cancer and diverticulitis resections, gallbladder removal, appendectomy, and ventral hernia repair; thyroid and parathyroid surgery; and soft tissue operations.
Dr. Winger has a special interest in blending modern minimally invasive techniques and imaging modalities, with classic technical skills learned while at Emory and honed over his many years of operating at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
In his spare time, Dr. Winger enjoys running and spending time with his family.
Dr. Winger is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

Walker Shearon, M.D., earned his medical degree from The Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from The University of Georgia.
Dr. Shearon has been practicing medicine for five years. Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Shearon was completing residency training in general surgery.
Dr Shearon has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery.
In his spare time, Dr. Shearon enjoys spending time with his wife and dogs. He enjoys golf and UGA football.
Dr. Shearon is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

T. Renae Deese, NP earned her master's degree from Albany State University. She is board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has over 24 years of experience in the health care industry.
Renae's experience includes primary care, preventative care, and pre-op and post-op care. She has a special interest in dedicating her time to empowering patients to achieve optimal health through evidence-based practices.
In her spare time, Renae enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and making meaningful memories with her children.

James Stevens, MD, earned his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency at Atlanta Medical. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from University of Georgia and is board certified in General Surgery.
Dr. Stevens has been practicing medicine for 9 years. Dr. Stevens specializes in General Surgery. Dr. Stevens has a special interest in providing individualized care to each of his patients and provides care in the scope of General Surgery.
In his spare time, Dr. Stevens enjoys spending time with family, coaching youth sports and golfing.
Dr. Stevens is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

Dr. Franklin joined the medical staff at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in January 2011. He was previously in private practice in Gadsden, Alabama for over five years. He is board certified in general surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
His practice includes the full range of General Surgery - hernia, colon resection, gallbladder surgery, and other diseases of the intestines and abdominal organs. He also does surgery on the thyroid, parathyroids, and skin. He has had a distinguished career in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. While in Alabama, he was the first surgeon in the state to complete a gallbladder removal with the da Vinci robot. After moving back to Georgia, he is the first surgeon in the Piedmont health system to complete gallbladder removal with the da Vinci robot, and also the first ever utilizing a single incision in the umbilicus. He is one of a very few surgeons in the US utilizing this technique. He has been involved in laparoscopic surgery for 20 years and over 12 years robotically.
He has published and given numerous presentations to include topics of advanced laparoscopic procedures, cellular behavior of cancers, trauma, multiple sclerosis, and intravascular ultrasound. He has most recently served as chairman of the department Surgery at Piedmont Fayette. He now serves on the medical executive committee and utilization review committee. He also is involved in research projects in the US and internationally.
Dr. Franklin believes that to plan the best possible operation, the surgeon must understand and listen to the patient. He can then plan and educate the patient in regards to their forward progress. He understands that operations are not without risk, and the patient must understand those risks along with its benefits, and the alternatives to treatment.