by Bobby Anderson,
Staff Writer

Most at Norman Regional Health System know Eugene Brown. The Engineering Services employee usually shows up shortly after getting a call that a piece of equipment isn’t working quite right.
But few at NRH know his mother, 91-year-old Felicidad S. Jones. That didn’t stop them from coming to her aid during the family’s time of need.
Twenty-two people gave blood in honor of Jones during the hospital’s most recent blood drive.
At the blood drive, donors had the choice to dedicate their donation to Jose, who was in need of platelets.
On May 14, Jose wasn’t feeling well and had some chest pain so she was taken to Norman Regional HealthPlex’s Emergency Department. They found her platelets to be dangerously low, somewhere near the 5,000s when normal range starts at 150,000.
She was transferred to Norman Regional Hospital to be admitted and begin receiving platelets.
Brown, who is also a member of the health system’s Blood Drive Committee, contacted Trish Crow, co-chair of the committee, before the blood drive on May 22 to ask if they could tell donors of his mom’s story and ask if they’d like to give in her honor. Crow was happy to oblige.
“Norman Regional Blood Drive Committee is always happy to help our healers. The May blood drive was no exception,” Crow said. “Norman Regional healers know the significance of their donations; however, it was even more heartfelt to have a family member as a designee. Supporting each other and saving lives one donation at a time.”
Brown said his mother is completing follow up blood tests, but she’s home now and is doing well.
“She’s a very sweet lady and she has so much love to give. We’re trying to just enjoy our time with her,” he said. “I’m really thankful for Trish Crow and the Oklahoma Blood Institute. My family is blessed to have Norman Regional and all the people who work here. They are all truly caring and professional.”
Brown not only volunteers his time to the Blood Drive Committee, but gives blood as often as he can. He has been donating since February 1996 and has given 65 times. Through his donations, he has donated 23 gallons and saved 186 lives. He often gives double, which means he donates double the red cells than a regular whole blood donation. While giving the red blood cells, he receives back his plasma, white blood cells and platelets. Double donations take longer than regular donations, and someone who donates double is not eligible to donate for 112 days rather than 56 days. There are height and weight requirements to donate double.
“I know people need blood and I always try to give because I think, ‘you never know, one day you or your family may need it.’ Sure enough, my mom needs it now. I want to help people, and I know by donating at Norman Regional the blood will go directly to those in our health system who need it,” Brown said. “Giving blood and giving back to the health system and this community is my obligation. I love Norman Regional, I love this community, and I know they are always there for my family and me.” “I’m blessed to be here and my family is grateful for Norman Regional helping my mom.”
According to the Oklahoma Blood Institute, every two seconds, someone needs blood, yet less than 10 percent of those eligible donate.
Blood donors with Oklahoma Blood Institute know they are, literally, saving the lives of their friends, family and co-workers, some who may have no idea they will need blood in an urgent situation. One blood donation can save up to three peoples’ lives.
“Summer is a particularly challenging time for the blood supply,” said John Armitage, M.D., Oklahoma Blood Institute president and CEO. “People go out of town, and are busy with activities, and get out of their normal routine of giving blood. We encourage healthy adults to spare just an hour of their time to save the lives of their neighbors.”
Only ten percent of people in the United States who are eligible to give blood actually do. Blood donation takes just about an hour, and each donation can save the lives of up to three patients. Whole blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelet donations can be made as often as every 7 days, up to 24 times a year.

Story and photos by Taprina Milburn, Communications Coordinator for RSVP of Central Oklahoma

When Linus Affolder, 89, lost his wife, Carolyn, of 47 years in 2013, he said the grief was like going through a dark tunnel.
“I could be sitting on the patio and break down. Things would just trigger the tears,” the Oklahoma City resident explained. “I wanted her back. She was my foundation and strength; my right-hand person.”
Carolyn had been sick with leukemia for many years and as the disease progressed, the couple traveled to Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center almost every weekend for treatments. During those years, the Affolders had to step away from all of the volunteer activities they did individually and as a couple to concentrate on Carolyn’s health.
The loss was overwhelming when Carolyn died, Linus said, and he tried to manage the grief and loneliness on his own for as long as he could.
“A lady from church who had lost a son told me about a grief program at Christ the King Catholic Church that helped her, and so I started going. It was a four-month program and we met on Thursdays and learned about the phases of grief and shared our stories with one another. One of the things that stood out for me was the suggestion that getting back to volunteering could help in my grieving.”
So, Linus picked up where he left off years ago as a volunteer with Britvil Food Pantry in north Oklahoma City, an opportunity he found through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma, a program that matches seniors 55 and older with volunteer opportunities in the community.
“That was the starting point for me to get back out and be around people,” he said. “It revitalized me because I have people that I look forward to seeing and a weekly obligation to help others.”
There are no components of our life that grief doesn’t affect, said RSVP of Central Oklahoma board member and Licensed Professional Counselor Marla Mercer-Cole, who has a private counseling practice and leads grief groups through Mercer Adams Funeral Service.
“Grief affects us emotionally, physically, and spiritually,” she said. “There is a huge paradigm shift when we lose a loved one, especially a spouse. It leaves you shaken. You don’t feel of much value any longer and don’t know what your purpose is moving forward. I encourage the people in the groups that I lead that although we will always miss that person, we do begin to adapt physically and emotionally.”
She said that volunteering often helps with that process and has on many occasions referred her senior clients or members of her grief groups to contact RSVP of Central Oklahoma or other organizations to find out about volunteer opportunities.
“We have the capacity to be enlarged as humans to have compassion and empathy because of what we’ve been through,” she said. “Doing something altruistically for someone helps others but also gives you a break from the heaviness of grief. It helps with connections and making friends and reminds us that if we are still here, we have a purpose.”
She also encourages grievers to surround themselves with positivity and look for things for which to be grateful. Research shows that gratitude changes brain chemistry and complaining and negativity does, too, she said.
And last, read as much as you can about grief because knowledge is power, and if you are ready, join a grief group.
“Some people who are grieving worry that something is wrong with them until they are in a grief group and hear others who share some of the same things you are going through,” she said.
Today, Linus is involved with several volunteer opportunities each week and joins friends at three church-sponsored senior luncheons each month.
“Pushing myself is what I have to do,” he explains, “but I feel a difference when I get out with people and my friend base is enlarging.”
To learn more about ways to volunteer in your community, call the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma, at 405.605.3110 or visit rsvpokc.org.

Americans have a need for cleanliness, especially when it comes to our children. But mounting research suggests our quest to be clean might make children sicker, not healthier.
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., said this groundswell of germophobic parenting and the tendency to create over-sterilized environments may keep children’s immune systems from developing adequate defenses.
It’s called the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ where scientists believe early exposure to allergens actually contributes to a healthier immune system. While it isn’t a new theory, it is becoming more widely accepted.
“For your immune system to protect you, it has to know the difference in what is dangerous and should be attacked and harmless substances that can be ignored,” said Chakravarty. “And to learn that, it needs to be exposed to some of the elements we’re erasing from the environment.”
Handwashing and maintaining a clean living area are still important, Chakravarty said, as are vaccines and immunizations. “But there’s a difference between a healthy level of cleanliness and essentially living in a bubble.”
Your immune system is built to protect you, so if it sits idle, it will find something to fight. Even fairly harmless substances like pollen, peanuts or pet dander can look like foreign invaders and result in an immune system overreaction. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks your own body’s tissues as if it were a pathogen or virus.
“We need protection from serious illnesses, but kids need exposure to a wide variety of things that aren’t actually dangerous,” said Chakravarty. “Kids are going to eat dirt, and that’s generally OK.”
It’s important to note that not all bacteria are harmful. Some actually help keep us healthy. The 100 trillion microbial and bacterial cells in our bodies, called the microbiome, also needs diversity, said OMRF geneticist Patrick Gaffney, M.D., and that comes from exposure to the environment.
Gaffney said more evidence is needed, but increasing research links germ exposure, diverse environments and minor infections at a young age with a lower risk of health problems later in life.
“Exposure to low-level allergens and germs like dog hair, pollen and common pathogens when you’re young allows the immune system to fine-tune itself and learn how to function properly,” said Gaffney. “Regular hygiene is still important, but don’t fret if your little ones dig in the dirt or wrestle with the dog. They may wind up healthier for it.”

Kenneth Wyatt just celebrated his 80th birthday on June 4. What makes this milestone even more special is knowing he underwent a lung transplant on
Jan. 10, 2019, at the age of 79.
The staff at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center held a surprise party for Wyatt and hope to have more of these celebrations in the future.
“People should not see age as a deterrent to seeking an organ transplant,” says Mark Rolfe, M.D., co-medical director of lung transplantation and advanced pulmonary disease management at the INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute in Oklahoma City. “We look at physiologic age, not chronologic age. The old way of thinking was you can only transplant people 65 and younger, but there’s a lot of 75-year-olds who are otherwise healthy and still young at heart.”
About a year and a half ago, Wyatt suddenly started to experience shortness of breath. “It came on really quickly,” remembers Wyatt. “I just couldn’t get enough air. I felt claustrophobic, like I constantly needed more oxygen.”
He was diagnosed at another facility with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was told his condition was terminal and he was simply too old for a transplant. Thankfully, Wyatt persisted and found another physician who immediately referred him to the INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute.
“I was anxious to meet Mr. Wyatt,” says Alan Betensley, M.D., co-medical director of lung transplantation and advanced pulmonary disease management at INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute. “We ran some tests and concluded he was healthy despite his pulmonary fibrosis, so we felt he would be an ideal candidate for transplant, regardless of his age.”
Wyatt was placed on the lung transplant list Nov. 15, 2018. “I hear some people wait years for a transplant, so I was surprised to get ‘the call’ less than two months later,” admits Wyatt. “I woke up in the Intensive Care Unit and everyone told me I did great. I was out of the hospital within a week.”
“Kenneth did remarkably well through the entire process. His oxygen level is back up to 98 percent and he is currently undergoing rehabilitation to regain his strength and endurance,” Betensley says. “I have no doubt he will make a full recovery. He is proof positive that age is relative.”
Wyatt says the experience has given him a new outlook on life and a brand-new purpose for living. “The way I figure it, is God gave me this condition for a reason. And maybe that reason is to help raise the age limit for transplant consideration. INTEGRIS took a chance on me when most other institutions wouldn’t, and I will be forever grateful for that.”
“I could still have 20 years ahead of me,” Wyatt predicts. “My mom is still living at 104 and my grand-dad lived to be 101 … so there’s a lot of life left in me.”

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

Oklahoma Senior Games cycling competitors gathered Sunday, September 16 last year at the Lake Stanley Draper Marina to stage for their either one lap or two lap races starting north around the lake. Many of the 55 cyclists who started racing at 8 a.m. in a mass start travelled from out of state to qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Oklahoma offers many of these Texas riders racing today another chance to qualify for nationals,” said Kathleen Fitzgerald, OSG state director. “It is surprising at first, how far they will travel to qualify for nationals, until you talk to them and realize these are really competitive older folks who want to stay fit year-round as cyclists.”
The 22K and 44K road races drew the most contestants last year at Draper, while the 5K and 10K time trial events that started at noon and 1 p.m. saw many of the same road racers participate.
The 22K course, one clockwise lap around Draper, saw the group stay together. They finished almost together on the long downhill that sweeps from the south to the finish near the road that leads into the marina. Many of the racers continued for another lap around Draper to contest the 44K category.
The 40 and over bicycle racers were hoping to place first through fourth place at last year’s games so they could qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games in New Mexico. Those games just took place June 14-25.
Many of the same racers, trying to qualify for Nationals, lined up again at noon or 1 p.m. to start an individual 5K or 10K time trail on an out and back loop north on the lake road. The cyclists, many riding specialty time trial bikes, began their race against the clock in one-minute intervals. Starting order was from youngest to oldest starting with males and ending with females.
The events observed U.S.A Cycling rules and went off without any wrecks or mishaps throughout the day.
In the time trial events, riders were not allowed to draft (take pace behind another rider) closer than 25 meters ahead, or two meters to the side. If anyone had broken this rule, they would have received a time penalty.
Both road race distances and the two time trail distances offered dual opportunity for qualifying for nationals. Qualifying in any event at the 2018 event earned the athletes the right to compete in either or both their respective events at Nationals.
2019’s events for 40+ cyclists will take place Saturday, September 21 at the lake with a similar schedule as last year. Entry Deadline is September 7 this year and staging will again be at the marina at 8301 SE 104th. Street.
Divisions will be contested in recumbent, Paralympic Upright, Paralympic Handbike, Paralympic Tandem and Paralympic Tricycle if enough racers enter those categories,
Racers 40+ can go online to okseniorgames.com for more information or call (405) 821-1500.
In a recent article published by the Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health online, bicycling is described as providing important physical benefits. First, it is an aerobic workout, which for seniors is the heart of any health plan, pun intended. Cycling, therefore, is good for their heart, brain and blood vessels.
Cycling is easy on joints, Dr. Safran Norton says in the article. He says that unlike walking, cycling is good for anyone with joint paint or age-related stiffness.
Bicyclists use their largest muscle group, the legs, which helps them build muscle while toning other muscles needed to keep them balanced and steer the bicycle.
These benefits carry over into everyday activities while helping cyclists build bone density, says Dr. Norton.
Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida will host the 2021 National Senior Games, the largest multi-sport championship event in the world for adults 50 and over. More than 10,000 qualified athletes, accompanied by an estimated 15,000 visitors, are expected to compete in 20 medal sports in 2021.
The National Senior Games, begun in 1987, has 54 affiliated qualifying member games in North America promoting wellness and active, healthy lifestyles for older adults.

Over the last 25 years, we’ve witnessed amazing advances in science and medicine. What was once thought impossible is now being accomplished. Genetic testing is one example. With a small sample of saliva, your risk for certain diseases can be predicted. Unfortunately, just as technology has evolved with these tests, so have the opportunities for scammers.
This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General sent out an alert about fraud schemes involving genetic or DNA testing. These scams have been targeting Medicare beneficiaries through phone calls, booths at public events, health fairs and door-to-door visits.
A typical scheme might go something like this: A scammer offers free ice cream or gift cards at a retirement community, senior nutrition center or Medicare expo for anyone who listens to a pitch about free DNA testing. It’s important to know: Medicare will pay for genetic testing for patients with advanced cancer or a family history of certain types of cancer if the test is medically necessary and is ordered by a treating physician. The fraudster will usually downplay or even ignore the medical necessity criteria and the need for a doctor’s order.
The scammer may swab a person’s cheek right there to collect saliva and gather identifying information, such as a person’s name, date of birth and Medicare number. Medicare beneficiaries have also been sent genetic testing kits and asked to return the completed kit with their insurance information. This is so the scammer can bill Medicare thousands of dollars of expensive and medically unnecessary genetic testing.
How do you tell the difference between a genuine, medically-necessary genetic test and these fraud schemes? Talk to YOUR doctor about it. This is the person with whom you’ve placed your trust regarding your healthcare.
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from this scheme:
*If a genetic testing kit is mailed to you, don’t accept it unless it was ordered by your doctor. Refuse the delivery or return it to the sender. Keep a record of the sender’s name and the date you returned the items.
*Be suspicious of anyone who offers free genetic testing and requests your Medicare number. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
*Look for charges on your Medicare Summary Notice statements for unnecessary tests or screenings that you did not want or were not ordered by your doctor.
If you suspect that you’ve been a victim of this scam or any Medicare fraud, report it. Call the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Medicare Assistance Program at 800-763-2828.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

Retired and just now decompressing from a 39-year career teaching high school art in the Greater Tulsa area, Osage Nation member Clancy Gray says creating his own Native American art is truly rewarding at age 70.
Making that transition to full-time fine art modern master translated into more sales of his jewelry, paintings and sculptures the first weekend in June at the 33rd Red Earth Festival.
At the three-day event in downtown Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center Gray sold several of his important works and had his best show ever. Gray said the extra attention lavished upon his art by the board of directors of Red Earth naming him 2019 ‘Red Earth Honored One’ sparked a successful sales weekend.
“Being the Honored One this year afforded me so many privileges that it just seemed natural that more people wanted to buy my work,” Gray said. “We set it up with the t, who is also an Osage Nation member, mayor to stop by the booth after he and his family were a part of the parade Saturday morning. I showed his family around the booth and we talked for about 10 minutes. I was excited when he came back by my booth after looking around for an hour and bought a painting of a bison his son really liked.”
That Honored One status, after Gray has exhibited at the Festival for 32 of its 33 years, put his art out front, in an expanded double-size booth nearest to the entrance to the juried art show.
Gray said that even though he was halfway across the state from his Broken Arrow home, his two sons, his brother and sister and many friends coming by or helping made him feel more at home than ever at Red Earth. The Honored One recognition is for a Native master visual artist whose support of Indian art has been substantial throughout his life.
Gray entered four items in the juried art portion of the show and collected two ribbons for top three placings. And again, in the truly rewarding vein, one of his first-place sculptures from three Red Earths back sold on Saturday.
Owners of one of Oklahoma City’s prominent CPA firms, T.C. Burgin, stopped by the booth and purchased Scout, a heroic size bronze horned toad, for the new office building they will open in the fall.
Osage Nation member and bronze casting legend John Free Jr. cast several of the horned toads at his Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla. Free is famous for capturing the artist’s real goal in their work by applying some of the most skilled patinas in the crucible industry.
Gray said Free’s ability to create a life-like patina to the bronze sculpture brings his horned toad Scout to life. He explains Scout’s name in that the horned toad represents what Native Americans would often use to help locate their game while hunting. During a hunt, if they were not finding their prey, they would pick up a horned toad and say a prayer. When the hunter put the horned toad down, and it scurried off, that was the direction they would start in to continue their hunt.
“It is a privilege to get to work with John Free and his group at the Bronze Horse Foundry.” Gray said. “I always say that sculpting success is a two-part process, the artist who first creates it in clay and the foundry master who duplicates it in bronze for them.”
Gray’s traditional and contemporary influenced jewelry reflects Gray’s fondness for vivid color, texture, and asymmetrical design. The silver jewelry is often the most collected of his work, and leads to the most commissions. This nationally collected master silversmith has won many awards in exhibitions and museum shows.
Gray’s paintings sold well at Red Earth as well. His building up depth from the canvas in the impasto style has elevated his status in the Native American art world. He uses a palette knife to apply vivid acrylics, giving the paintings intensity that allows light to animate the focus of his work. This signature style allows Gray to create a modern ruggedness. He says he works to celebrate the light’s colorful and reflective sparkle built up in focused areas.
By creating a ceramic glaze depth with skillful repetitious palette strokes of the water-based acrylic paint, his paintings are dynamic and unique. Those high-gloss highlights have a richness of color that captures the eye, whether portrait or figures, still life, or landscape.
In retirement Gray says he now has more time to reflect on the achievements of his art students. He taught in Tulsa at McLain High School for 17 years and East Central High School for 18 years. He finished his teaching career at Edison High School after three years.
The insightful artist and teacher insisted his students master the basics of composition and design. He then encouraged them to create original works, rather than just copying ideas or pictures they saw. Gray has guided the beginnings of many art careers. More than 5,000 students graduated from his 39-year influence at those three schools.

“I tried to model strong basic skills, so as they learned those skills it would take them anywhere they wanted to go as artists.” Gray said. “Our schools supported them so the best and brightest could go on to win many art competitions in the state and nationally.”
Gray also made the students’ academic progress an important part of their art educations. The result was a highly productive teacher who helped many students receive college scholarships and awards
“We had student artists earn important scholarships, and become award-winners in art competitions and students whose work is now shown in galleries,” Gray said. “We had high expectations, we really wanted them to grow as much as possible as artists along the way.”
Gray says his passion for teaching and creating a nurturing educational setting for all his students was a given. After his double major in art and physical education, Gray went on to earn a master’s degree in education at the University of Central Oklahoma.
During his long career he also coached boys and girls soccer, boys baseball, girls softball, boys and girls cross-country and boys and girls swimming.
Gray says that one of the best features of retirement is the satisfaction of seeing how his many students’ talents evolve. He enjoys following his former students’ progress as they adapt to create great art in their growing careers.
He says that spark of excellence often stimulates him to keep up with his own art career. No longer constrained to a teacher’s schedule, he has found that requests to put on exhibits have come more often now.
“Being named 2019 Honored One at Red Earth has been one of the highlights of my recent retirement,” Gray said. “I had not danced in 35 years and was proud to dance in step as part of the procession at the beginning of the dance contests in my role as this year’s Honored One.”

It is the distinct pleasure of the Troy and Dollie Smith Wellness Center at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute to invite you to our 25th annual art exhibit dedicated to the curative powers of creativity and to all whose lives have been affected by cancer.
The exhibit showcases all forms of art including fiber, graphics, oil, watercolor, mixed media, photography, pottery, sculpture, writing and poetry. Register art by Monday, July 8, 2019. Deliver art by Friday, July 19. Pieces will be displayed from July 25 through Sept. 6, 2019.
Artists of all ages wishing to express how their lives have been affected by cancer will have their work on display. The pieces may be by individuals or collaborative, done by professionals as well as first-time artists.
In lieu of a 10 percent sales commission, there will be a nominal $10 registration fee for each piece submitted (limited to two entries only) per artist. Registration proceeds will benefit the INTEGRIS Foundation’s Art Therapy fund to help continue the exhibit dedicated to all affected by cancer.
The registration fee will be due from the artist on the art drop-off day, Friday, July 19, 2019 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Registration fees will be accepted in cash or a check made payable to INTEGRIS. Registration of art is available at integrisok.com/celebration-of-life or by calling 405-773-6600.
OPENING RECEPTION
Artists, cancer survivors, families and friends will be recognized at the 25th annual Celebration of Life Art Show and Opening Reception on Thursday, July 25, 2019, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. To RSVP for the event, please call 405-951-2277.

Do you have cramping in your legs while walking or at rest? Is it difficult for you to walk long distances? Do you have restless, cold or pale legs or feet? Do you have hair loss in the lower legs, infections or wounds that take a long time to heal or fungal infections of the toenails? You may have peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Peripheral artery disease is the narrowing or hardening of the arteries that carry blood to your limbs. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen rich blood to all the tissues in the body. Arteries can develop plaque buildup on their walls as we all get older. The plaques are generally a combination of cholesterol, fat, scar tissue and blood clots. Calcium deposits may also develop. This plaque progressively blocks blood flow to the limbs. In the legs, this reduced blood flow can cause cramping and pain.
Men and women over the age of 50 are most prone to peripheral arterial disease. Incidence becomes increasingly common with each year of life – men are affected earlier, but women catch up quickly. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, smokers, people with high cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and genetic predisposition are at increased risk for developing this disease.
Diagnosis is determined with careful history and physical exam of an individual. Simple screening methods can include blood pressure measurement of the wrist and ankle or an ultrasound exam. In some instances a CT, MRI or arteriogram exam may be required.
Symptoms or consequences of the disease include pain, cramping in the legs with exercise or movement. Burning pain, numbness, tingling in the feet, and wounds or infections that are slow to heal or do not heal may also be present. Pale, blue, or cold feet may also be a sign of PAD.. If peripheral artery disease is left untreated or treated too late, it can lead to amputation of the toes, feet or legs.
PAD is preventable!
* Smoking – never start, or if you still smoke – QUIT!
* Diabetes – it’s very important to work with your primary healthcare professional to control your diabetes with a combination of medication, healthy diet, lifestyle modification and weight loss.
* Cholesterol – manage with medication, healthy diet, and exercise
* Overweight – manage with diet modification, weight loss, regular exercise
This disease can be treated surgically or with a minimally invasive procedure through an IV placed into the artery of the wrist, arm, foot, or groin. Treatment can include angioplasty or atherectomy. Angioplasty is the use of special balloons of various sizes that are used to expand an artery to its normal size. The balloon is removed after treatment is complete. Atherectomy removes plaque from the artery wall similar to a “roto-rooter” removing buildup from pipes. This can be achieved with different devices which incorporate cutting blades or lasers. Another method of treatment includes placement of stents which are used in select situations to expand an artery to its normal size and hold it open with a “scaffold”. Stents are permanent implants.
This can be treated by select cardiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. If you feel that you may be at risk for PAD, or have some of the symptoms, you should consult your primary healthcare professional to screen for it, and to discuss treatment options.
You are also welcome to call our Vascular Center to schedule a prompt and free consultation. You can contact us at 405-608-8884. We are a specialized center staffed with highly experienced professionals, including a Vascular/Interventional physician, dedicated to treating PAD on an outpatient basis using the latest proven technology to combat this epidemic.
Dr. C.V Ramana is a vascular and interventional radiologist with more than 20 years of practice experience. He has expertise in all areas of vascular and interventional radiology. Dr. Ramana has a Ph.D from Yale University and MD from CWRU in Cleveland, Ohio where he subsequently completed his fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at the Cleveland Clinic.