Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital has partnered with Amputation Prevention Centers of America® (APCA) to develop a specialized amputation prevention program and a dedicated treatment center now available to patients.
The Amputation Prevention Center at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights includes both inpatient and outpatient areas, a team of highly-specialized affiliated physicians and surgeons, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and state-of-the-art technologies and equipment needed to prevent amputation.
“The Amputation Prevention Center at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights will change the way we treat limb-threatening conditions, many of which are caused by complications from diabetes,” said Wesley Tidwell, Vice President of Operations at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights. “This is a patient-centered program that offers an alternative to amputation and ensures the highest quality of care with a multidisciplinary approach tailored to each individual.”
The Amputation Prevention Center at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights will be the first APCA-affiliated facility in Texas.
“Our research showed that there was a need for this specialized treatment in the area and state and we’re committed to meeting the needs of our community,” Tidwell said.
Amputation surgeries performed in Texas increased 15 percent from 2007 to 2012, according to data published by the Amputee Coalition this year. More than 86 percent of Texans who underwent amputation surgery in 2012 were 45 years or older, the age group most affected by diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which play a role in 54 percent of all amputation surgeries.
“Losing a limb to diseases like diabetes and PAD is life-altering and is associated with a high risk of a second amputation within three years, and death within five years,” said Kourosh Keyhani, D.O., a vascular surgeon and Medical Director of the Amputation Prevention Center at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights. “A very large percentage of amputations are preventable with the right type of treatment. Our center is focused on using the most advanced techniques and medical knowledge to prevent amputations.”
Techniques used to save feet and legs from amputation include surgery to remove infection, restoration of blood flow, and skin grafting among others. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is also used as an adjunctive treatment to promote healing by increasing the level of oxygen in the tissue and improving the healing efficiency of the white blood cells.
For more information on the Amputation Prevention Center at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights or to make an appointment, call 713-867-2672.