- Americans’ outlook on economy becomes a bit more pessimistic: Poll
- Coffee prices at an all-time high, data shows
- Cade residents discuss concerns with landfill at St. Martin Parish public hearing
- Poll of scientists says large majority weighing leaving US
- Yolanda Saldívar, killer of Tejano music icon Selena, denied parole
Acadiana Foot Centers' treatment saves limbs
4
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- In the United States, an estimated 2.1 million people live with limb loss.
Dr. James Noriega, is a board certified wound care physician and specializes in diabetic limb salvage. Here at Acadiana Foot Centers, he works to reduce that number.
"So 20 years ago, we didn't. We didn't do limb salvage. When you had a saw, we didn't think it was going to heal it." Dr. Noriega said. "We just cut your leg off. Right. Which increased morbidity increased your chance of dying young, basically. So now we take every chance we can to try to heal these wounds."
He said thanks to some key innovative thinking, from doctors right here in the Hub City, saving limbs has become, the norm.
"And that's enabled people like me in the limb salvage world to fix things that we couldn't fix before because now we have blood flow." said Dr. Noriega.
Dr. Noriega told KLFY 10 blood Flow is the key when it comes to salvaging limbs. The life altering procedure of redirecting blood and the introduction of stents in the leg to open flow, has all started here in Lafayette. With this innovative technique, Acadiana Foot Centers is known nationwide as the place to come for Limb Salvage advance wound care.
"The ability to get blood flow is is the biggest thing. We have people that just purely specialize in getting blood flow to the feet now, and that's what they do for a living." said Dr. Noriega. "And that wasn't even thought of years ago. You know, I think Dr. Ali and Dr. Walker were the first people in the nation to put stents in the leg and get blood flow to the legs."
In America, 185-thousand people experiencing amputation each year which Dr. Noriega is proudly willing reduce that number each day.