saving limbs, saving lives

Mike Richards, PA-C, MPAS, and Tom Tran, PA-C, MPAS, of Limbstitute have their finger on the pulse of artery and vein care.

For years, Comprehensive Vein Center has earned a stellar reputation for treating venous problems.

Similarly, the Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence has achieved equal status as a leader in treating arterial disease.

The reason for that is simple. Tom Tran, P.A.-C and Mike Richards, P.A.-C of Comprehensive Vein Center and Dr. Asad Qamar of Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence all pride themselves in delivering high-tech care with a very personalized touch.

In July, their thriving practices joined forces and formed the Limbstitute, which is based in Summerfield. Having a comprehensive medical facility like the Limbstitute allows them to render treatment under one roof to patients who are suffering from arterial and/or venous disorders. Thus, both limbs and lives are saved.

“The biggest advantage of combining specialties is we can provide rapid diagnosis and rapid treatment,” says PA Richards. “All too often, patients end up losing limbs because they are referred to other physicians, then await test results, and then have to make an appointment with the physician. The process becomes delayed. At the Limbstitute, the process is streamlined to achieve maximum results for patients.”

Time is critically important, especially considering mortality rates are extremely high after lower extremity amputation. “Both arterial and venous diseases are prevalent in this country, so our goal is to address these problems quickly and come to a resolve,” he says. “Between early intervention and utilizing minimally invasive procedures to treat patients, we can help them regain a high quality of life without lots of downtime.”

The Limbstitute also offers a big advantage for patients who suffer from both peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and venous disease. They can be treated in the same facility by practitioners who specialize in these disorders.

“Our practitioners only focus on what we’ve been trained to do,” says PA Richards. “We don’t try to do more than we’re capable of. If a patient has a vein problem, he will see either myself or Tom. If a patient has an arterial problem, he will see Dr. Qamar.”

More importantly, the practitioners take an active role in educating patients so they can take charge of their health care going forward.

“Education is vitally important,” he says. “We pride ourselves on empowering patients through education and encouragement to take charge of their journey toward wellbeing. High-quality care is not only about helping a patient feel better; it’s also about successful communication and trust. We truly want our patients to embrace a healthier approach to life.”For most people, the occasional skinned knee or bruised arm requires only a few days to heal.

A Matter Of Life And Limb

Unfortunately, there are times when wounds simply do not heal and cause longterm pain. When this occurs, patients may end up visiting numerous physicians and specialists only to find their problem is not relieved. Patients find that coping with chronic, non-healing wounds is frustrating, timeconsuming, and often cause emotional stress.

But there’s good news. Limbstitute, a partnership between Comprehensive Vein Center and Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence, offers a more comprehensive approach to wound healing. That’s very encouraging, especially considering so many people suffer from chronic wounds caused by diabetes, circulatory problems, and other conditions.

Limbstitute utilizes advanced technologies and proven protocols to treat chronic, non-healing wounds. One of these treatments is Apligraf, a safe, non-surgical procedure using denaturized baby foreskin to stimulate and accelerate the healing process. Apligraf has proven to be extremely effective in healing venous ulcers, arterial ulcers, and diabetic ulcers.

Other advanced procedures include maggot therapy, synthetic grafts, and on-site surgical debridement.

“We’ve helped treat many patients with extremely complicated cases,” says PA Tom Tran of Comprehensive Vein Center. “Most wounds on average take six months to heal, but we help their wounds heal much faster than that. That’s because of the advanced therapies we have access to.”

Another reason for Limbstitute’s success in treating chronic wounds is because the team of physicians looks at the whole person rather than simply treating the wound. In other words, they examine a patient’s lifestyle and nutrition to help manage the disease that may be preventing proper wound healing. They also work closely with patients’ other physicians and home health care agencies to ensure they receive adequate ongoing care.

“Looking at the whole person is important,” PA Tran says. “No matter how you treat the wound it will not heal unless you take care of the underlying issue. Whether the underlying issue is a blocked artery or diabetes, we can treat it here under one roof.

Because of that, there is no miscommunication that often happens in the medical world. The physicians here talk to each other in person or can review each other’s notes to ensure optimal patient results.”

If you are suffering from chronic wounds, let Limbstitute’s expert team of specialty trained physicians address your problem utilizing the latest technologies and techniques.

Follow the intricate maze of pipes running through Maria Tracy’s Lake organic produce at the end. Her soilless venture into

County greenhouse and you will find lush, aquaponics may be the agriculture of the future.

WRITER: MARY ANN DESANTIS // PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED LOPEZ