Home Amputation Prevention
Limb SalvageAmputation Is Not Your Only Option.
FCCI calls its Amputation Prevention Center the first of its kind. Board-certified cardiologists work with wound care specialists to find and open arterial blockages that put legs at risk.
What makes the center different
The Amputation Prevention Center at First Coast Cardiovascular Institute offers:
- Its own outpatient catheterization lab
- A multispecialty approach to wound care, managed under one roof
- A commitment to advancing medicine through research
- A team of physicians dedicated to preventing amputation
Amputation prevention starts with finding out why a wound is not healing. FCCI's team tests blood flow, looks at the wound itself and checks for things like diabetes and infection. When blockages are found, restoring flow becomes part of the plan. Most procedures need only a tiny incision in the wrist or groin. They last 1 to 3 hours, and you recover in a private room for 1 to 5 hours. FCCI's cath lab page says amputation should always be the last resort.
How it works
The team uses a variety of tests to detect blockages, then moves your care to one of FCCI's cardiologists, who builds a personalized plan for healing and prevention. In the cath lab, peripheral revascularization uses atherectomy devices, balloons and/or stents to restore blood flow to the legs. FCCI's cath lab page says it plainly: amputation should always be the last resort.
FCCI has a long record here. It was the first in Northeast Florida to perform pedal access for chronic limb ischemia in 2008, and in 2013 one of the first in Florida to offer drug-eluting stents in the legs to reduce recurrent blockages.
Firsts that shaped saving a limb at FCCI: in 2016 Dr. Vaqar Ali was the first physician in Florida and second in the U.S. to perform the Pantheris procedure, aimed at reducing amputations from PAD, and in 2018 Dr. Yazan Khatib was first in Northeast Florida to offer IntraVascular Lithotripsy from Shockwave Medical.
The people behind it
Dr. Yazan Khatib, FCCI's president, co-founded the Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation, which works to prevent amputations in people with wounds and complications from diabetes and PAD. Dr. David Swain, a podiatric surgeon in wound care and limb salvage, is board certified in Limb Preservation and Salvage. Dr. Mubbasher Syed and Dr. Vaqar Ali also list amputation prevention and peripheral interventions among their work.
For more, FCCI also runs NoAmputation.com.
Options for saving a limb include hyperbaric oxygen, skin grafts, amniotic membrane therapies, vascular testing, early endovascular treatment and preventative surgery. FCCI's specialists diagnose diabetic, arterial, venous and pressure ulcers as well as traumatic and surgical wounds.
If you are coming in about saving a limb, bring a short symptom timeline, a complete medicine and supplement list, your insurance card and a photo ID. Those details save time in the exam room.
Ask for a second look
If you or someone you love has been told an amputation may be needed, call 904.493.3333 to ask about an evaluation. Every case is different and no one can promise a result, but a vascular evaluation can show whether blood flow can be improved first.
FCCI has handled saving a limb for Northeast Florida patients since 2002, from offices in Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam and Ware counties. Its board-certified physicians keep current on treatment, and the practice holds seven cardiovascular accreditations.
To set up a visit about saving a limb, call 904.493.3333, or 904.644.0092 for Orange Park and 386.325.2836 for Palatka. Health details are best shared by phone or in person, not through web forms.
Wondering if insurance covers saving a limb? FCCI works with Medicare, Tricare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Humana (some exceptions apply) and a long list of others, and staff can verify your plan by phone.
Can amputation be prevented?
Sometimes. When a wound will not heal because of blocked arteries, restoring blood flow may help. FCCI's team evaluates each case. No one can promise a result, but it is worth asking.
Can I get a second opinion on an amputation?
Yes. Call 904.493.3333 to ask about an evaluation at FCCI's Amputation Prevention Center.
Who is on the amputation prevention team?
Board-certified interventional cardiologists, including Dr. Yazan Khatib, and wound care and limb salvage specialist Dr. David Swain, DPM.
