Adena Health vascular surgeon’s skill saves patient’s foot

CHILLICOTHE, OH (Sept. 9, 2024) – Barbara Sanders’ world was shaken when she was told that the only option to address a condition that was causing her intense foot pain was amputation.

 “My first thought was, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do now?’,” Barbara said. “It was extremely emotional, a very scary time for me.”

Before the amputation could be done, the hospital performing the procedure required approval from a cardiac physician. When Barbara returned to Adena Health and her longtime cardiac provider, Tarek Moussa, MD, to get that approval, Dr. Moussa offered her hope that she might be able to keep her foot by trusting in the skills of Rahul Kar, MD, one of Adena’s most recent additions to the vascular surgery program.

“Dr. Kar suggested there were other options to consider,” Barbara said. “I felt relief that there may be other answers that might allow me to keep my foot.”

Dr. Kar consulted with Dr. Moussa, reviewed Barbara’s history, and conducted his own examination below Barbara’s ankle where previous exams had stopped. He discovered that to try and save the foot would require opening up the very small blood vessels running to the feet, one of Dr. Kar’s specialties. Through the use of both endovascular options involving small wires and catheters and traditional surgical techniques, Dr. Kar felt the chances were very good that the foot could be saved.

“It’s the goal I try to achieve in my approach with patients is to make sure they understand what the disease is, as well as what all the options are,” Dr. Kar said. “When it comes to lower extremity limb salvage, my philosophy is to really exhaust all options before you get to amputation.”

That approach gave Barbara both confidence and hope. She was impressed with Dr. Kar’s honesty, and that helped her place trust in him that he would do everything he could to try and save her foot. It was trust well placed, as she now is back to keeping up with the busy lives of her five grandchildren and performing everyday tasks such as going to the grocery store without suffering extreme pain. “Things are going great,” Barbara said. “Everything is healing, and I don’t have the pain I had before. I’m extremely grateful that I can get back to doing all the normal things I did before because there was a time when walking and sleeping was a real struggle. I am very grateful to Dr. Kar for saving my foot.”

Barbara had developed that trust in Adena’s heart and vascular program over more than a decade of care that began with her introduction to Dr. Moussa when he helped her through her first heart attack. Her experience with the program has also included a procedure on her carotid artery and other, ongoing care. Her trust in Dr. Moussa, she said, helped her place her trust in Dr. Kar, and it is those types of patient-doctor relationships she believes are so important in receiving quality health care.

Dr. Kar suggests that any time people – especially those with a history of poor blood flow – begin experiencing wounds on their feet, whether through a small ulcer or some other condition, they have it looked at as soon as possible to avoid the potential for greater damage.

To learn more about the heart and vascular services available close to home at Adena Health, visit Adena.org/heart.