Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare - (Page 8)

Portage resident Michael Cardenas is happy to go home with his wife, Sherry, after a minimally invasive treatment for peripheral arterial disease that has eliminated pain in his leg. New technologies o er more options for peripheral arterial disease A Step Ahead of BY MARY FETSCH A Cardiologists at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System, including A. Khalil at St. Mary Medical Center, are finding new ways to treat peripheral arterial disease and restore blood flow to limbs. t 49 years of age, Portage resident Michael Cardenas thought he was pretty healthy. He only saw a doctor when he needed to for the ﬂu or other typical ailments, and no one ever told him he was sick. When a leg cramp woke him up in the middle of the night, he just thought he pulled a muscle at work the day before. When the pain didn’t go away, he took a few days off. Then, days later, a red spot appeared on the top of his foot, and the pain had become unbearable. “I ﬁnally told my wife, ‘I can’t take it anymore. I have to go the emergency room,’ ” Cardenas says. After his emergency room visit and a series of tests, Cardenas learned that he was indeed sick. He had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The pain in his leg and spot on his foot was the beginning of necrosis brought on by poor circulation. In addition to consulting with a physician from the wound clinic, Cardenas met with A. Khalil, M.D., cardiologist on staff at St. Mary Medical Center and Community Hospital. “We did an angiogram and discovered 100 percent blockage in his left leg,” says Khalil. PAD WHAT CAUSES BLOCKAGES? Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when leg arteries narrow or become blocked with plaque. These blockages can result in severe pain, limited CONTINUED ON PAGE 49 8 Vim & Vigor · WI N TER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Special: Stroke of Luck
Healing Heroes from the Inside Out
A Step Ahead of PAD
Smart Moves
Miss Information
Stroke Sense
Gut Feelings
The Scoop on Stress
The Faces of Skin Cancer
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A Natural Dilemma
17 Reasons to Work in Healthcare
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Hospitals Unite

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare