Encouraged by the success at other facilities pairing podiatrists with vascular surgeons to reduce amputation rates, George Andros, M.D., a vascular surgeon and proponent of podiatry, Lee C. Rogers, DPM, past Director of the Amputation Prevention Center at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, and Nicholas J. Bevilacqua, DPM, a past attending surgeon at Broadlawns, have brought that approach to Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

The 4,000-square-foot Amputation Prevention Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital includes leading-edge technology and equipment including one of the region ™s only hydroscalpels (to treat diabetic foot wounds), 3D wound cameras, skin oxygen sensors, thermal imaging, and a designated advanced OR suite. The Amputation Prevention Center began serving patients January 1, 2010. Drs. Rogers and Bevilacqua serve as Associate Medical Directors and Dr. Andros serves as Medical Director of the Center.

You have to focus on the future, and the future is this: Diabetic foot care needs to be specialized care provided by a team of diabetic podiatrists and vascular surgeons because there ™s no other model that has worked as well, says Dr. Andros. We have to shift our focus from expensive urgent care, such as amputations, to less costly preventive care, which diabetics need most.

SOURCE Valley Presbyterian Hospital