AboutLauri Ordway Expertise I can answer your questions related to peripheral vacular disorders. This includes all arteries and veins except those inside the head and inside the heart. IE: neck (carotid), arms (carotid subclavian bypases to Thoracic Outlet) belly (aortic aneurysm & occlusive disorders, renal artery stenosis), legs (iliac, femoral, popliteal, peroneal, dorasalis pedis, posterior and anterior tibial) arteries. Aneurysm & occlusive disease, atherosclerosis, leg pain, arterial wounds and gangrene, amputation prevention. Vein disorders: Blood Clots (DVT), post-phlebetic syndrome, varicose veins, venous stasis ulcers. I can help with vascular wound treatments. Also, Raynauds, Buerger`s disease, Thoracic Outlet and other miscellaneous vascular disorders.
I CANNOT answer questions about your heart disease, blood pressure, brain aneurysm, although I can help with questions about the arteries that go to and from those organs.
Experience I am a nurse, I have worked for 14 years with two terrific peripheral vascular surgeons, one of them is also the inventor of very innovative wound care products and surgical instruments to make vascular surgery procedures better and faster. I wrote and manage our clinic website and field questions from patients all over the world.
Expert: Lauri Ordway Date: 3/13/2001 Subject: AMPUTATION OF FOOT
Question MY MOM HURT HER TOE ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO, THE TOE WOULD NOT HEAL**SHE IS A DIABETIC** FOR 20 YRS. THE DR. TRIED TO GIVE HER VIENS BUT SHE HAD VERCUSE VIENS REMOVE 40YRS AGO SO THERE WERE NO GOOD VIENS NOW THEY WANT TO AMPUTATE HER FOOT WOULD VASCULAR SURGREY HELP? SHE IS 78YRS OLD 5'10'HT AND WIEGHS 175LBS. SHE ALSO HAD BLOCKAGE IN 3 AREA OF HER HEART THAT WAS DONE 1MONTH AGO SHE WENT THROUGH IT NO PROBLEMS HER DR SAYS SHE HAS NO CIRCULATION AND NOW SORES ARE ON HER THIGHS WE ARE VERY WORRIED AND SHE IS VERY AFRAID OF NOT MAKING IT THROUGH THE OPERATION. CAN YOU HELP
Answer I am sorry this took so long to answer, I was unexpectedly called out of town. lauri
hi, you sound very worried, your mother is lucky to have such a concerned child, she must be very special.
take a deep breath and listen, your Mom is young, (we do these surgeries on people over 100 years of age) just got thru heart surgery just fine and so is at her strongest (heart in great shape) the surgery that she needs to get her legs back in shape could be anything from a small bypass in the calf (the most common problem for diabetics) to aortic replacement (this would be a surprse if she needed this unless she has been a smoker)
what you need to do is get her to a peripheral vascular surgeon and get an evaluation of the arterial flow by angiogram (the test where they put the dye in and look at the arteries)
the angiogram will show exactly what is blocked adn the surgeon can then tell you what he can do to restore the bloodflow
DO NOT LET ANYONE CUT OFF ANYTING, not even a toe, because if there is not enought bllodflow to the area the amputation CANNOT HEAL and they will end up having to amputate higher and higher to find a spot where the incision can heal up(that is why she needs the test first)
if you let me know where she is (large town nearby) I can give you the names of some good surgeons in her area.
