Dr. Andrey Vishnyakov

Dr. Andrey Vishnyakov provides comprehensive family medical care for a wide variety of health concerns affecting patients of all ages, including but not limited to:

Pediatric Common Issues

• Common Childhood Infections (Viral & Bacterial - Ear, Throat, Chest, Skin, GI): Diagnosing and treating frequent acute illnesses in children, such as otitis media (ear infections), streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat - with rapid testing if available), common colds and influenza, croup, bronchiolitis, roseola, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea), uncomplicated urinary tract infections, and common skin infections (impetigo, cellulitis - mild).
• Well-Baby & Well-Child Check-ups (Growth, Development, Nutrition, Safety): Ensuring your child meets key developmental stages according to age, receives all recommended preventative health screenings (e.g., vision, hearing, anemia, lead - as per guidelines), and appropriate immunizations in a timely manner.
• Developmental, Behavioral & Learning Concerns in Children (Screening, Initial Assessment, Guidance & Referral Coordination): Performing routine developmental surveillance and targeted screening (e.g., using Ages & Stages Questionnaires - ASQ) when parents or educators raise concerns regarding potential developmental delays (in speech/language, gross/fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, social-emotional development). Offering initial assessment and guidance for common behavioral issues (e.g., significant tantrums, sleep problems, childhood anxiety, aggression), symptoms suggestive of ADHD, or learning difficulties.

Joint Muscle Pain

• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) - Diagnosis, Management & Monitoring (Often with Rheumatology Co-Management): Often co-managed with or referred to rheumatology, especially for atypical presentations, diagnostic uncertainty, difficulty tapering corticosteroids, frequent relapses, or suspected GCA. Primary care plays a key role in ongoing monitoring, patient education, and supportive care for PMR.
• Gout & Pseudogout (Crystal Arthropathies) - Acute Attack Management & Chronic Prevention Strategies: Providing long-term management strategies for chronic gout to prevent recurrent attacks and complications (e.g., tophi, chronic gouty arthropathy, kidney stones), including detailed lifestyle advice (dietary modifications - reducing purine-rich foods such as red meat/organ meats/shellfish, limiting alcohol especially beer and spirits, avoiding sugary drinks/high-fructose corn syrup; hydration; weight management if overweight/obese) and initiating/managing urate-lowering therapy (ULT) such as allopurinol or febuxostat to achieve and maintain target serum uric acid levels (typically <360 µmol/L or <300 µmol/L if tophi present). Monitoring for medication side effects, adherence, and regular serum uric acid levels.
• Mechanical Low Back & Neck Pain (Acute, Subacute, Chronic - Uncomplicated): Helping patients understand the nature of their mechanical spinal pain, empowering them with self-management techniques, and discouraging reliance on passive treatments or unnecessary imaging for uncomplicated cases, in line with clinical practice guidelines.
• Fibromyalgia & Other Widespread Chronic Pain Syndromes - Primary Care Diagnosis & Multimodal Management: Initial assessment and diagnosis of fibromyalgia or other widespread chronic pain syndromes based on established clinical criteria (e.g., ACR criteria for fibromyalgia), after appropriate investigation to rule out other underlying systemic inflammatory or medical conditions. Developing a comprehensive, multimodal management plan focusing on patient education about the condition (central sensitization, pain neurophysiology), promoting self-management, graded exercise therapy (low-impact aerobic, strength, flexibility, aquatic therapy), optimizing sleep hygiene, stress management techniques (mindfulness, relaxation, CBT principles), pain coping strategies, and judicious use of medications targeting central sensitization and associated symptoms (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, SNRIs like duloxetine/venlafaxine, gabapentinoids like gabapentin/pregabalin). Avoidance of long-term opioid therapy is generally emphasized.

Mental Health Concerns

• Anxiety Disorders (Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety - Management): Providing comprehensive assessment, psychoeducation, supportive counseling, lifestyle advice (exercise, mindfulness, sleep hygiene), evidence-based medication management (e.g., SSRIs, SNRIs, buspirone), and facilitating timely referrals for psychotherapy (CBT, DBT, etc.) or psychiatric consultation for common anxiety disorders.
• Insomnia & Chronic Sleep Disturbances: Helping you identify and address factors contributing to poor sleep, and develop effective, sustainable strategies to improve sleep quality, duration, and daytime alertness and functioning.
• Depression & Other Mood Disorders (e.g., Dysthymia, Seasonal Affective Disorder - Management): Helping individuals navigate feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and other depressive symptoms, aiming to restore emotional well-being, daily functioning, and prevent relapse.

Preventative Health Topics

• Comprehensive Lifestyle Counseling (Diet, Exercise, Sleep, Stress Reduction): Supporting your efforts to adopt and maintain healthier habits across multiple domains of life for a better quality of life, increased resilience, and proactive disease prevention through shared goal setting and ongoing support.
• Travel Medicine Advice & Routine/Travel Vaccinations: Helping you prepare for safe and healthy international travel with essential medical guidance, ensuring you are up-to-date on immunizations and equipped with preventative strategies and medications for common and serious travel-related illnesses.
• Health Equity & Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Discussion & Resource Navigation: Recognizing and sensitively discussing how social determinants of health (e.g., income, housing, education, food security, access to services, discrimination, social isolation) impact a patient's health and well-being. Providing information and referrals to relevant community resources, social services, and support programs to help address these underlying factors.

This list offers some examples of common conditions managed in family practice. A diagnosis is always based on an individual assessment by Dr. Vishnyakov. If your specific health concern isn't listed, please contact the clinic to discuss your needs.

• Patient Education on Specific Health Conditions & Self-Management: Educational resources and discussions to help you navigate your health journey confidently and make informed decisions.
• Osteoporosis Screening, Prevention & Management: Proactive care to maintain bone health, prevent fractures, and manage established osteoporosis.
• Hypertension & Lipid Disorder Management (High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol): Developing personalized strategies to control hypertension and lipid levels effectively, involving patient partnership in shared decision-making and goal setting.
• Adolescent Health Care & Counseling (Incl. Sexual Health, Mental Health, Lifestyle): Creating a safe, non-judgmental, and supportive healthcare environment for teenagers to discuss their health concerns, receive accurate information, and develop healthy decision-making skills.
• Occupational Health Aspects & Work-Related Health Concerns (Initial Assessment): Addressing health concerns that may be related to a patient's occupation, providing initial assessment for work-related injuries or illnesses, and completing necessary forms (e.g., fitness to work, return to work).

Note: This list highlights some of the key services offered by Dr. Vishnyakov. For a comprehensive understanding of all services, or to discuss your specific health needs, please schedule a consultation.

All services are provided in accordance with the scope of practice for Family Doctors in ON and the ethical and professional standards set by The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

At Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, family medicine is centered on a collaborative partnership to help individuals like you achieve significant improvements in your health, manage ongoing conditions effectively, and enhance your overall well-being. Dr. Vishnyakov frequently works with patients towards goals such as:

• For patients where their child has a foreign object stuck in their nose or ear (and it seems minor enough for the clinic) is a concern, Dr. Vishnyakov focuses on plans that lead to having their advance care plans and end-of-life wishes thoughtfully discussed, respectfully explored, and accurately documented with him well in advance, ensuring their future autonomy and dignity are preserved, supporting their ability to actively participating in local civic life, serving on community boards, contributing to neighborhood associations, or engaging in grassroots advocacy groups with consistent energy, passion, and intellectual commitment.
• If experiencing sudden flashes of light or floaters in their vision is preventing you from successfully pursuing further formal education, challenging vocational training programs, or self-directed learning initiatives to achieve important personal growth objectives or significant professional aspirations, Dr. Vishnyakov can help. The aim is to achieve feeling significantly less isolated, better understood, and more adequately supported in managing a rare, complex, or poorly understood health condition due to his unwavering commitment to their comprehensive care and willingness to learn alongside them through personalized family medicine care.
• The focus for patients with wanting to understand if their family history of cancer means they need earlier or different screening tests at Dr. Vishnyakov's practice is achieving gaining much better insight into how their specific lifestyle choices (e.g., dietary patterns, substance use, stress levels) directly and measurably impact their long-term health outcomes and chronic disease risks, thanks to clear and impactful discussions with him, facilitating a return to meaningful activities like reliably getting a full night of good quality, restorative, and uninterrupted sleep on a consistent basis, which is absolutely foundational to their overall physical health, emotional balance, cognitive function, and daytime productivity.
• Patients with a persistent hoarse voice or a lump in their neck that they are concerned about can find relief and achieve navigating the unique physical and emotional journey of pregnancy, childbirth, and the demanding postpartum period with excellent, comprehensive, and reassuring medical guidance, continuity of care, and unwavering supportive care from him under Dr. Vishnyakov's care, often allowing them to resume consistently keeping all appointments for essential preventative dental care, vision checks, hearing tests, and other important allied health services as part of a comprehensive approach to their overall health maintenance without former limitations.

Your personalized healthcare plan, developed in discussion with Dr. Vishnyakov, will be thoughtfully designed to help you reach your specific functional, preventative, and wellness objectives. He believes in empowering patients with the knowledge and support needed to take an active role in their health journey.

Dr. Vishnyakov practices at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, located in the Audley South, Duffins Bay neighborhood of Ajax. The clinic is conveniently located near Harwood Centre and is accessible via Durham Region Transit (DRT). Free patient parking is often available on-site or on nearby streets.

Is seeing a family doctor (Family Doctor) covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) in ON?

Medically necessary visits to a family doctor are typically covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for eligible residents with a valid provincial health card. Some services, such as cosmetic procedures, most travel medicine consultations, sick notes, insurance forms, and driver's medicals, may not be covered and might have an associated fee. Please confirm with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre if you have questions about specific non-insured services or potential fees.

What exactly is a family doctor (Family Doctor) and what is their role?

A family doctor (Ontario) is a physician who has completed post-graduate training in family medicine. He is skilled in providing continuous and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance, and preventive services to patients of all ages. This includes diagnosing and treating a vast array of illnesses, managing complex long-term health conditions, offering health education and counseling on lifestyle choices, and acting as your advocate and guide within the broader healthcare system.

How can I find a family doctor (Family Doctor) in ON who is accepting new patients?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario often has a 'Find a Doctor' tool or list on its website. In Ontario, you can register with Health Care Connect. You can also ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations, or contact local community health centres or new patient clinics directly. Finding a family doctor who is accepting new patients can be challenging and may take time.

Do I need a referral to see a family doctor (Family Doctor) in ON?

Generally, you do not need a referral to see a family doctor if they are accepting new patients. However, finding a doctor accepting new patients can be challenging. Provincial resources like Health Care Connect may be helpful. A referral is usually required to see specialists.

What should I do if I have an urgent medical issue when Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is closed?

If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. For urgent, non-life-threatening issues, consider visiting an urgent care centre or walk-in clinic. Some family health teams offer after-hours on-call services; check with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre or Dr. Vishnyakov during regular hours to see if such arrangements are in place for their practice. Our clinic voicemail [(905) 686-4444] may also provide instructions or resources for after-hours care.

How long do appointments with Dr. Vishnyakov typically last?

Appointment times vary. A quick follow-up might be 10-15 minutes, while annual physicals or complex issues may require 30 minutes or more. Be specific about your needs when booking your appointment to ensure enough time is allocated.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Unit Room MG 408, 901 Harwood Avenue North, Urology Clinic
Ajax, ON, L1Z 0T4

Phone: (905) 686-4444

Dr. Andrey Vishnyakov is regulated by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 & Medicine Act, 1991 (Ontario) in ON and is a registered member in good standing with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

Registration Number: 115842

Verify registration with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO): https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/DoctorDetails/Vishnyakov-Andrey/0325115-115842

Family doctors like Dr. Vishnyakov are skilled in managing a wide range of health issues. For urgent or life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department. It is always recommended to maintain open communication with your family doctor about all aspects of your health, including any treatments received from other practitioners.