Our Podiatrist, Dr. David Swain, and our wound care nurse, Donna Geiger, APRN, CWON, have dedicated their careers to helping those suffering with wounds of the legs and feet. So what exactly does podiatry have to do with the heart?
“85-95% of my patients need a cardiologist,” Dr. Swain says, “I love knowing a trusted cardiologist is just a few rooms down and my patient can get their cardiovascular care in the same world class institution they are receiving their wound care.”
Dr. Swain and Donna specialize in treating arterial ulcers, venous ulcers, traumatic wounds, pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, and any other non-healing wounds of the feet and legs and diabetic foot ulcers
Patients with diabetic foot ulcers are at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, cardiac disease is the number one killer of diabetic patients. All of these patients are in need of a cardiologist.
Endovascular specialists at FCCI, like Drs. Khatib, Ali, Al-Saghir, Zuberi and Alnabki, work closely with the wound care specialists to prevent amputation in patients with wounds that won’t heal. Many of these patients have been told amputation is their only option.
First Coast Cardiovascular Institute has built an Amputation Prevention Program for these patients who have been told nothing could be done for them. “We are trying to be proactive and prevent our patients with these wounds from getting to a state where amputation is their only choice,” Dr. Khatib says.
Our endovascular specialists work with wound care specialists across Northeast Florida and have helped hundreds of patients avoid an amputation. Of these patients is William Cassels, a veteran and patient of Dr. Khatib.
“I was on my way to the amputation table,” Cassels said, “Dr. Khatib saved my leg. The First Coast Cardiovascular team was magnificent. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.”
