Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare - (Page 52)

Spotlight on Community Hospital New Option to Treat paD is Superb A Cardiac research leads to customized treatment plans t 57 years old, Calumet City resident Daniel Kornelik considers himself to be young at heart and light on his feet. But last August he was having trouble walking, experiencing pain in his right, lower leg and in his lower back. He says his right calf muscle was hard as a rock. “I’m a maintenance supervisor for Land ‘O Frost—a meatpacking company—and I have to do a lot of walking and climbing stairs,” Kornelik says. “By the end of the day, I just couldn’t bear being on my feet. I even had difficulty mowing the lawn. In my front yard, there is a little hill that comes up to the house, and by the time I got through mowing that little area, I was getting leg cramps. “My family practitioner took an ABI Doppler and a CT scan, which showed minimized blood supply to the right leg,” he says. “I went to a cardiologist for treatment, but the pain and cramping in my leg continued. Then, I went to see Dr. Makam, an interventional cardiologist who specializes in treating people with my symptoms. He gave me hope. I can’t tell you how happy I was. “After his assessment, Dr. Makam suggested I undergo a procedure to put a stent in my leg to restore the blood flow to my leg. Prior to having the stent put in, I always felt 40 from the midsection up and like I was 75 years old from the lower back down,” says Kornelik. “Since I had that stent put in, boy, I feel like a young man again!” What Causes PaD? Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when the arteries in the legs become narrowed or blocked by plaque. Blockage can result in critical leg ischemia, a condition in which not enough blood is being delivered to the leg to keep the tissue alive. According to the American Heart Association, this condition affects approximately 8 million to 12 million Americans. With only about 25 percent of PAD patients undergoing treatment, it is a disease that is largely underdiagnosed and under-treated. If left untreated, PAD can lead to severe pain; limited physical mobility; lifethreatening, non-healing leg ulcers; and amputation. PAD is a progressive disease and, in some cases, blockages are extensive and can involve the whole lower extremity from above the groin to the toes. Symptoms of achiness, burning and weakness in Calumet City resident Daniel Kornelik is king of the hill as he mows his lawn following a procedure at Community Hospital that has helped him conquer his painful battle with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). 52 Vim & Vigor • SP R I N G 2 011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Solutions for Relief
Helping the Medicine Go Down
Beating Breast Cancer
A Workout for Every Mood
Don’t Fail Your Heart
If Your Bones Could Talk
Healthy Travels
Over 40 and Fabulous
Do-It-Yourself Health?
Fighting Words
Balancing Act
Giving & Getting
The Heart of Rehab
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Prescription for Safety

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare