SPOTLIGHT: ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER BY CHRIS SHEID DISSOLVING THE THREAT OF DVT LIVE program offers advanced options for patients with deep vein thrombosis Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a serious disease that involves the formation of a blood clot deep in the veins of the leg. The condition can cause severe pain and swelling and may be fatal if the clot breaks up and travels to the person's lung. DVT affects as many as 900,000 Americans every year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Chesterton resident Karin McKenna, who developed DVT, says the condition left her unable to walk or move around. McKenna needed answers. She got them through Anas Safadi, MD, medical director of the Limb Ischemia and Vascular Excellence (LIVE) program at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, where physicians specialize in treating DVT. Safadi conducted a two-part interventional procedure to address McKenna's DVT. She believes that Safadi saved her leg and possibly her life. Karin McKenna developed a DVT blood clot in her leg. She is back on her feet and back home again thanks to the expert care provided by St. Mary Medical Center staff and a technology called EKOS. 54 SU M M ER 2 0 1 9