St. Mary’s Wound and Amputation Prevention Symposium to Feature Internationally Recognized Panel of Physicians
San Francisco (PRWEB) October 04, 2013 -- What: St. Mary’s is at the forefront of the emerging field of Amputation Prevention and Limb Preservation. As one of a few Amputation Prevention Centers in the United States, St. Mary’s has developed a program that has already demonstrated a 2/3 reduction in major lower limb amputations in the last year. These striking results are largely attributed to the advances in specialized revascularization and the unique partnership between vascular and podiatric surgeons that make up the core of the St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Program.
Why: For a person with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease (PAD), the risk of amputation is considerable. A leg is lost every 30 seconds due to complications from diabetes. More than 60% of lower limb non-traumatic amputations occur to people with diabetes, resulting in more than 90,000 amputations annually.
When: Friday, October 4 | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: St. Mary’s Medical Center
Morrissey Hall; 2250 Hayes Street (entrance off Hayes)
Speakers and Topics:
Michael S. Conte, MD
Medical Director, St. Mary’s Amputation Prevention Center
Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at UCSF
Dr. Conte is internationally recognized for his work in amputation prevention and vascular surgery. He has authored more than 100 scientific publications, has been invited to lecture about amputation prevention around the world and has led many major clinical trials, including the field’s largest multi-center clinical trial to date. He served as an Associate Editor for Circulation, and is currently on the editorial boards of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Vascular Medicine, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Vascular.
Dane K. Wukich, MD
Chief of the Division of Foot and Ankle Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center;
Medical Director, UPMC Mercy Center for Healing and Amputation Prevention
Dr. Wukich is an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon specializing in amputation prevention and whose publications include scientific articles, reviews and book chapters. Most recently he presented three papers at the 6th International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot in the Netherlands which drew attendees from 77 countries across six continents. He has just completed a two-year term as Chairman of the American Diabetes Association Foot Care Interest Group, is a Co-Chairman of the meeting on Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis in Florence in 2014 and has been asked to serve on the International Advisory Board for the seventh annual International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot in 2015.
Alex Reyzelman, DPM
Chair, Department of Medicine, Samuel Merritt California School of Podiatric Medicine
Panel Physician, St. Mary’s Advanced Wound Healing-Amputation Prevention Center
Dr. Reyzelman is nationally recognized as a lecturer and educator in the field of podiatry and amputation prevention. He is extensively involved in research and serves as the primary investigator for many cutting-edge clinical trials for the treatment of diabetic wounds. He is the author of numerous influential papers in peer-reviewed journals and is an invited lecturer at educational events across the country.
Amputation prevention focuses on a vital collaboration of team members to save limbs and prevent amputations. The podiatric and vascular surgeons at St. Mary’s Medical Center are joined by the leadership team of Drs. David Young and Charles Lee, who lead the Advanced Wound Healing and Reconstructive Microsurgery Clinics.
Facts About the Amputation Prevention Center at St. Mary’s:
- The Amputation Prevention Center at St. Mary’s is one of only a handful in California and across the nation to to offer a comprehensive program to prevent amputations.
- Amputation Prevention, as a philosophy and practice, centers on the vital collaboration between podiatrists and vascular surgeons. By having both specialties under the same roof in one clinic, patients can be assessed by both, often in the same day, avoiding long wait times while the patient’s condition worsens. This results in a higher success rate for preservation of limbs.
- Among the team that supports the mission of amputation prevention are: Surgeons, endocrinologists, hyperbaric medicine physicians and clinical support staff.
- The Amputation Prevention Center at St. Mary’s is a member of the Amputation Prevention Centers of America Network.
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About St. Mary’s Medical Center:
St. Mary's Medical Center, a Dignity Health Member, is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital that has been caring for the people of the San Francisco since 1857. Located across from Golden Gate Park, it is longest continual running hospital in San Francisco. St. Mary’s is home to the nation’s first digital cardiac catheterization laboratory and has pioneered spine surgery like the X-Stop for the treatment of spinal stenosis. St. Mary’s has also been designated as a 2012 Blue Distinction Center for Spine and Hip/Knee Replacement Surgery and is a Certified Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. In 2011, St. Mary’s opened a state-of-the-art Cancer Center, offering the full-range of oncology, radiation and imaging services. Beyond clinical care, St. Mary's is committed to furthering the healing ministry, and to providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to the community we serve. For more information, please call 415-668-1000 or visit http://www.stmarysmedicalcenter.org.
Dee Mostofi, St. Mary's Medical Center, http://StMarysMedicalCenter.org, 415-750-5831, [email protected]
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