When Crandall, Texas resident Randall Vinard was mowing his lawn in 2010, he noticed his calves cramping in a way he hadn’t felt before. To be safe, he mentioned it when he saw his podiatrist a few days later for an unrelated issue.
Due to some discoloration in one of his toes, the podiatrist referred Mr. Vinard to Dr. Russell Lam of Lam Vascular and Associates – a move Mr. Vinard feels ultimately saved his leg and maybe even his life.
“Dr. Lam found I had some restricted blood flow and used stents to open things back up,” he said. Vinard suffers from Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a blockage of the arteries going to an extremity and a condition Dr. Lam specializes in treating.
Then on Christmas Eve of 2013, Vinard and his wife were eating dinner at a local restaurant and he began to have severe pain in his leg and foot. He called Dr. Lam to see what he thought and was told to head straight to the hospital.
“I had a blood clot and came within 30 minutes of losing my leg,” said Vinard. “But Dr. Lam and the good Lord both really looked out for me. I spent three weeks in the hospital and Dr. Lam replaced the main artery and veins from my groin to my knee. It literally saved my leg.”
Sometimes, Vinard thinks about what his life might have been like if he had lost his leg that Christmas Eve. As a maintenance supervisor for local school districts for more than 30 years, he does a lot of physical work. “I’m sure I would have gotten a prosthetic and figured out how to get around, but I’m so grateful to Dr. Lam that I was able to keep my own leg.”
Vinard appreciates Dr. Lam’s straightforwardness and his confidence in his ability to help his patients. “His reputation is outstanding and I feel fortunate to have been sent to him,” Vinard said. “I’ve been a patient now for six years and I have to say, Dr. Lam and his wonderful staff feel like a second family to me.”
The information contained in this article is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice. Patient results will vary based on risk factors, age, disease and medical history and are not guaranteed in any way.
