6 SAHealth.com KEEPINGWELL — SPRING 2023 Timely care saves Sharon’s life Sharon Pettit is quick to admit that she would not be alive today without the care she received at Methodist Hospital | Texsan. In 2021 Sharon was in and out of medical facilities for 10 weeks dealing with COVID-19 and its complications. She had a pulmonary embolism, which made her COVID-19 worse. She was unable to breathe and felt very sick. “I could not walk at all,” she said. “I thought that I was dying.” She was so disoriented that she remembered getting into the ambulance to go to the hospital, but not much after that. Her challenges continued as she had difficulties with equipment. Her chest tube was pulled out, and she nearly died. Then her lung collapsed. Her situation changed when she arrived at Methodist Hospital | Texsan ER. Carmelo Ortero, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon, assured her that she would recover and provided her with the determination to complete her rehabilitation. “The level of care is unmatched,” said Sharon, a retired nurse. “The level of expertise and dedication was comforting to me and provided my husband with a sense of relief. I also was impressed with the effective communication and timely delivery of patient care.” Now, in the last stages of her rehab, Sharon looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren. The Methodist Diabetic Foot and Ankle Center is located at 4330 Medical Dr Pavilion, Suite 120, San Antonio, TX 78229. To make an appointment, call 210-575-3327 or talk to your primary care provider. Methodist Hospital opens Diabetic Foot and Ankle Institute to combat amputation rates More than 14 percent of Bexar County residents have diabetes, which is higher than the state average of 11.4 percent and the national average of 10.5 percent. Methodist Hospital is proud to have opened the Diabetic Foot and Ankle Institute (DFAI) to serve as a barricade against San Antonio’s high rates of diabetes complications, one of the highest-ranked cities in the nation. Diabetes-related complications and infection can often lead to the loss of limbs. Preventing lower extremity amputation is critical, not only for mobility, but also for survival. Delayed treatment is the largest contributor to diabetic amputations, and some of the most serious complications of diabetes are poor circulation and loss of sensation in the feet. These issues put patients with diabetes at greater risk for foot ulcers, non-healing wounds, and infections that, left untreated, often result in the loss of a lower extremity. The Methodist Diabetic Foot and Ankle Institute provides the highest and most comprehensive level of patient-centered care by treating complex deformities, infections, and traumatic injuries. The program takes a multidisciplinary approach and offers the most up-to-date treatment options with a focus on wound healing and amputation prevention. The DFAI team is comprised of a range of specialists, including cardiologists, wound care specialists, vascular surgeons and endocrinologists. When preventive measures have been exhausted, various surgical approaches can be offered to provide each patient with a functional, biomechanically sound foot that is free of infection, while minimizing the risk of future lower extremity complications. “We have a team of medical and surgical experts readily available to care for our patients with any underlying conditions and lower extremity complications,” said Thomas Zgonis, DPM, FACFAS, Podiatric Surgeon and DFAI Medical Director. “Our goal is to redefine care to the San Antonio community and to become the leading center and resource for advanced wound care and lower extremity preservation.” Sharon Pettit and her husband, Bob.
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