Saving Your Limb Can Mean Saving Your Life

At St. Mary's Amputation Prevention Center, our program includes internationally recognized experts in the field of amputation prevention.

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Amputation Prevention Center

At the Amputation Prevention Center at St. Mary's Medical Center, we know saving your limb can mean saving your life. You have an increased risk for amputation if you have a diabetic foot ulcer and/or Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a common circulatory problem that usually causes leg pain when you walk. Don't wait to get a team of specialists involved. We treat all stages of disease, but our best chance of success is when you see us as soon as you notice a problem. Our team-based approach focuses on preventing amputation, restoring function and getting you back to your normal daily life. Since we opened in 2012, our Center has reduced major amputations in patients by 70 percent.

Fast, Effective Care

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 85 percent of amputations are preventable. Amputations tend to happen when you are diagnosed or treated too late, when the doctors who care for you are not working as a team, and when your first course of treatment is not effective.

At St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center, our program includes internationally recognized experts in the field of amputation prevention – experts who have dedicated their medical careers to saving people’s limbs and lives.

The vascular and podiatric surgeons at St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center are supported by a broad array of other specialists in plastic surgery, cardiology, radiology, and rehabilitative medicine. When all these specialists collaborate under the same roof in the same clinic, it means you can be assessed more quickly by both a podiatrist and vascular surgeon, often in the same day. This helps you avoid long wait times, uncoordinated care and poor communication among your doctors and other caregivers. Meanwhile, your condition may be getting worse.

The Amputation Prevention Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center is one of only a handful across the nation to bring together highly qualified vascular surgeons and podiatrists in a comprehensive program. Our goal is to prevent lower limb amputations. We are a proud member of the Amputation Prevention Centers of America network.

If you have diabetes or PAD, you may have difficulty with hard-to-heal wounds on your arms, hand, legs or feet. St. Mary’s Advanced Wound Healing Center works closely with our Amputation Center to help wounds heal as quickly as possible.

Diabetes And Amputations

According to the American Diabetes Association, in the U.S. someone loses a limb due to diabetes every 20 seconds. Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects nearly 10 percent of Americans. This includes 25 percent of all seniors in the U.S. Diabetes causes many complications, including:

  • Poor blood supply to your arms and legs
  • Loss of sensation in the arms and legs
  • A weakened immune system
  • Increased risk of ulcers and infection
All these factors together contribute to the high risk of amputations among people with diabetes. Over the last 15 years, the annual rate of foot amputations due to diabetes among Americans has soared to nearly 100,000.

 

Our Specialists

At St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center, our program includes internationally recognized experts in the field of amputation prevention – experts who have dedicated their medical careers to saving people’s limbs and lives. Learn More

What We Offer

A key aspect of amputation prevention is teamwork between podiatrists and vascular surgeons. When both specialists work together in the same program, as they do at St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center, you can be confident that your condition will be assessed more quickly. This will also help you to avoid long wait times between doctor visits. Learn More

When to See Us

If you have a limb that’s at risk of amputation, time is of the essence. Don’t wait for your problem to get worse before you see a team of experts. Our Amputation Prevention Center treats patients at all stages of the disease, but we are much more successful when we can intervene early. Learn More

Learn More About The Amputation Prevention Center

To learn more about the St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center, or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (888) 98-WOUND.