Consider a Doctor’s Reputation When Looking for a Second Opinion Before Amputation

There are 160,000 amputations related to peripheral arteryArteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. disease (PAD) performed every year in the U.S.³ Many of these patients might have avoided such a drastic procedure with a strong clinical support team.

Gain Insight Before Making a Decision

In this video, Kym McNicholas, founder of The Way to My Heart (a non-profit that directly supports patients in their effort to get high-quality care for PAD), and Dr. John Phillips, an interventional cardiologist at OhioHealth Physician Group in Columbus, OH, discuss exploring every possibility before accepting an amputation:

Don’t just follow doctor’s orders when faced with amputation. Actively seek a second opinion if your doctor isn’t a PAD specialist or doesn’t offer a limb salvage program.³³

Unfortunately, amputation as a treatment is often accepted at face value.

“Patients that have been raised to trust their doctors ― no matter what ― will listen to whatever their doctor says,” says Dr. Phillips. “And if the doctor says it’s an amputation, it’s an amputation.”

People suffering from PAD are also in extreme pain and discomfort. “So many patients get to the point where the pain is so excruciating that they can’t imagine that anything, any procedure, could take away that pain except for just simply cutting it off,” says McNicholas.

Cutting off your limb isn’t always the only option. There are many treatment options available, including lifestyle changes, medical management, minimally invasive procedures and arterial bypass surgery(Arterial bypass surgery) Your doctor will create a graft bypass using a vessel from another part of the body or a blood vessel made of synthetic fabric. This technique allows blood to flow around – or bypass – the blocked or narrowed artery.. In addition to getting a second opinion, leverage the services offered by The Way to My Heart, talk to friends, family members and even Facebook groups or chatrooms to gain insight into other PAD patients’ experiences before making a potentially life-changing decision.

For More Information

You must be your biggest advocate as a patient to find the best doctor for you. Watch the full video to learn more about getting a second opinion before moving forward with an amputation. You can also learn more about PAD and find a PAD specialist near you by using CSI’s Find a Doctor tool.