CVMC First in Region to Offer Minimally Invasive Option for Vascular Disease Patients
HICKORY, NC – May 11, 2015 – Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) announces the availability
of a new technology to treat patients suffering from peripheral artery
disease (PAD). The procedure reopens blocked arteries and delivers medication
to prevent future narrowing of the arteries that limits blood. If left
untreated, the lack of circulation can cause debilitating pain, non-healing
wounds and eventual amputation of legs or feet. CVMC Vascular Surgeons
Gary McDougal, MD and Christopher Griggs, DO became the first in the area
to treat patients using the minimally invasive procedure approved late
last year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We are excited to offer a new procedure to help address the growing
number of patients in our community living with circulatory diseases.
These patients often experience serious and painful symptoms,” said
Dr. Griggs. “The drug coated balloon approach offers significant
advantages over traditional options such as vascular bypass surgery, medications
or a combination of balloons and stents. It not only clears the initial
blockage, but also works proactively to prevent future blockages.”
“It saved my leg,” said Curtis King, 60, of Hickory. “Sores
on the top of my left foot and between my toes were causing so much pain
that it was impossible for me to wear shoes or walk. My toes were almost
mummified. They were turning black and I had lost feeling in them.”
King’s sister also had a leg amputated before dying at an early age,
so he didn’t wait to see his primary care physician. He learned
that PAD typically starts in the toes before moving up the body, eventually
affecting the entire foot, ankle and leg. Foot ulcers and pain in the
lower extremities may also indicate a more widespread accumulation of
fatty deposits in arteries that can prevent proper blood flow to the heart
and brain. King was referred to Dr. Seth Weaver, a podiatric surgeon at
the CVMC Center for Wound Healing & Hyperbarics. Despite all attempts
to heal the chronic foot ulcers, King’s left toes were amputated.
To help King preserve function in his remaining limbs, Dr. Weaver collaborated
with colleague Dr. Griggs, who recently completed extensive training on
the drug coated balloon procedure. In a 15-minute, minimally invasive
procedure at CVMC in January, King became the first patient in the area
to receive this advanced technology since receiving FDA approval. Within
a week, King began feeling tingling sensations beneath his knee and started
a series of 18 consecutive hyperbaric wound healing treatments. Today
his wound is 90% healed and he has regained most function in his foot
and lower leg. Retired from Hickory Chair, he looks forward to getting
back to his normal activities of driving, cooking, fishing and playing
with his grandson. An avid Washington Redskins fan, he also has hopes
of scoring tickets to an NFL game during the upcoming football season.
Common PAD symptoms include relentless leg pain, foot or toe wounds that
resist healing, gangrene and a marked decrease in the temperature of the
lower leg or foot, particularly compared to the other leg or to the rest
of the body. Tobacco use, obesity, high cholesterol and physical inactivity
are all risk factors for PAD.
ABOUT CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER – Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Hickory, NC, is the region’s
largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system serving the community
without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual well-being in addition to serving as a
center for health education, wellness, preventive medicine and acute care.
CVMC received a fourth consecutive Magnet designation from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center in 2014 and has been recognized by WomenCertified®with Women’s Choice Awards for
America’s
Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience in 2012, 2013 & 2014;
Best Hospital for Patient Experience in Obstetrics in 2013 & 2014;
America’s Best Hospitals in Orthopedics in 2013 & 2014; and
America’s Best Hospitals in Cancer Care in 2014. CVMC received the 2013 & 2014 Premier Inc. QUEST® Award for High-Value Healthcare recognizing its reduction in harm, mortality,
readmissions and costs and improvements in metrics for patient experience
and evidence-based care. For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.