 Arlene
Engelhart lost part of her right leg two years ago to a
diabetes-related disease. She feared for her other leg, as
well, when the toes on her left foot became infected this past year.
"My clogged arteries weren't letting enough blood flow to my toes,
so the infection wouldn't heal," Arlene says.Dr. John Moss of
SunCoast Surgical Associates suggested SilverHawk®
Plaque Excision procedure.
The SilverHawk is a minimally invasive
procedure that doesn't require general anesthesia and typically
results in just a single night's stay in the hospital for
post-surgery observation. "For patients like Mrs. Engelhart,
the SilverHawk can be used to restore the blood flow to limbs that
might otherwise eventually require amputation," Dr. Moss says.
"It is an excellent procedure for limb salvage."
During the surgery at HealthPark Medical
Center, a catheter was inserted into the artery in Arlene's leg.
A tiny rotating blade then removed the accumulated plaque in her
artery. Arlene liked that the procedure was a quick and simple
one. "I only stayed one night in the hospital, and the doctors
and nurses did a great job," she says. "Dr. Moss is an
excellent doctor, and I have a lot of faith in him."
"Another advantage of the SilverHawk
procedure is that it doesn't 'burn any bridges,'" Dr. Moss says.
"You still leave all other options open for the future." Those
options include other vascular procedures such as stents,
angioplasties or open bypass surgeries.
Arlene saw immediate improvement after her
SilverHawk surgery. "It was a really simple surgery, and my
toes started healing and feeling better right away," she says.
Arlene and her husband, Rich, live in North Fort Myers and enjoy
going out to dinner and the movies. They also visit their
seven children and 17 grandchildren in Wisconsin for several months
each summer. "The SilverHawk helped heal my infection so I
could enjoy our visit with family again this year." |
