Walter C. of Mesquite, Texas, has spent years under the care of a variety of vascular healthcare providers. As someone who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 40 years, has renal disease and has had a kidney transplant, he’s very familiar with doctor’s offices and hospitals.
In 2020, Walter was having issues with circulation in his left foot. And after months of unsuccessful treatment, found himself undergoing a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg. So when shortly after that surgery, he began having issues with his right foot, Walter was concerned he would lose his right foot as well.
The vascular group he’d seen for 15 years told him they thought the circulation in his right foot was fine. Over the next several months, they tried everything from debridements and angiograms to hyperbaric chamber treatments with a wound care specialist. Still, Walter’s right foot didn’t show signs of improvement. He even had an advanced stem cell therapy treatment called a BMAC procedure (bone marrow aspirate concentrate). But puzzlingly, the therapy was not successful. “From the ball of my foot to my heel, my foot had just decayed, and the tissue was dying. Honestly, I was just waiting for them to tell me I was going to lose that foot, too,” said Walter.
So when a friend told him about Dr. Russell Lam and The Limb Salvage Center at Lam Vascular & Associates, Walter was understandably hesitant, but he was also just a little bit hopeful. He decided to make an appointment.
Hope and Help at Lam Vascular’s Limb Salvage Center
“Dr. Lam performed testing and determined that the problem was, indeed, a lack of blood flow to my foot,” said Walter. “He performed angioplasty and stenting, and within weeks, things were beginning to turn around.” Walter underwent a second round with the BMAC procedure, and this time, with restored blood flow to the foot, it worked.
Ultimately, it took almost a year, but the tissue on Walter’s right foot has almost completely healed and grown back. When he saw his wound care specialist again, the doctor told Walter that the regeneration of his right foot was nothing short of a miracle!
Despite his many health challenges, Walter’s sense of humor remains firmly intact. He recently told Dr. Lam, “I bet I’m the only patient of yours who grew half a foot last year but didn’t get any taller!”
Today, Walter is patiently waiting for the custom orthotic insoles for his shoes so that he can get out of his wheelchair, back on his feet, and can do something he hasn’t done in over a year; walk. He’s incredibly grateful that his friend told him about Lam Vascular & Associates. “I think that if I’d had Dr. Lam on my side back when I was dealing with the other foot, I might have been able to avoid the amputation,” said Walter.
Amputation Isn’t Inevitable
If you have diabetes and are experiencing leg and foot complications, it’s vitally important to see a vascular expert to explore options for properly restoring blood flow to your lower limbs; a vascular expert like Dr. Russell Lam. He and his experienced team of surgeons and medical professionals at The Limb Salvage Center may be your best next step. Here, we specialize in minimally invasive vascular procedures that can help return blood flow to your limbs, possibly preventing amputation.
Texas’ Trusted Vascular Experts
Dr. Lam and his team of vascular experts at Lam Vascular & Associates specialize in second-opinion evaluations that have saved thousands of limbs of people who were facing amputation. Preventing amputation isn’t just about saving your limb – it’s about saving your life.
At Lam Vascular & Associates, we are dedicated to compassionate care focused on personalized solutions. We work with many primary care physicians to help manage the vascular aspects of their diabetic patients’ care. Schedule an evaluation with one of our award-winning limb salvage experts today.
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