Percentage of patients ambulating post-major amputation by age group. Valley News/Courtesy image
Devin Zarkowsky, MDSpecial to Valley News
Limb preservation with revascularization
Vascular surgeons work hard to keep limbs on bodies. Often, folks with diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, or a history of smoking present to us with diminished or absent blood flow to their feet, causing pain in or even wounds on their feet. This disease process is chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), part of the peripheral arterial disease (PAD) spectrum. Intervening to improve blood flow, relieve pain, and heal wounds is the foundation of limb preservation, along with multi-disciplinary teams, including podiatrists and wound care specialists. Amputation is a last resort; an irrevocable step altering a person’s future when preservation options have been exhausted. Regaining ambulati
