A new clinic focused on preventing amputations

The cardiovascular and podiatric teams at University Health are integrating their skills and passion to tackle the growing problem of limb loss in South Texas, much of it linked to the epidemic of diabetes. The new Limb Salvage Clinic at University Health’s Texas Diabetes Institute is bringing together a multispecialty team as part of the University Health Cardiovascular Center (CVC) to provide individualized care to patients with the highest risks for devastating loss of mobility and health.

In Bexar County, about 15% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes. That’s higher than the state average of about 12% and the U.S. average of just over 11%. In the nearby Rio Grande Valley, the incidence of diabetes is even more profound rising to 30%, prompting Dr. Michael Sobolevsky, a podiatry doctor at the Texas Diabetes Institute, to call South Texas the “diabetic foot capital of the world.”

The link between diabetes, amputations and heart disease

The relationship between diabetes and vascular complications, and the devastating effect that amputations have on individuals and families, make this multispecialty center an urgent necessity for Bexar County and South Texas.

That’s because diabetes damages the vascular system and can lead to complications in the heart and other organs. 

High blood sugar in patients with diabetes can reduce blood flow to the legs and feet, resulting in infections and tissue damage. This reduced flow is referred to as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Reduced sensation in the legs may make it difficult to detect wounds until they become severe. The condition can impair the healing of foot ulcers, which can quickly become life-threatening and may require amputation to rid the body of the infection. 

High blood sugar can also damage the lining of blood vessels, causing plaque to accumulate and contribute to coronary artery disease. 

The clinic’s goal

The goal of the clinic is to provide holistic care to patients with diabetes and vascular disease — not only detecting and treating limb-threatening conditions early to prevent amputations, but to address overall cardiovascular risk. These patients often have one or more of the following conditions: high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, poorly controlled diabetes, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease or heart failure.

Our team

The Limb Salvage Clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience treating patients with peripheral vascular diseases, including those that affect patients with diabetes. 

Dr. Anand Prasad, the founding director of the University Health Cardiovascular Center and the Limb Salvage Clinic, is an interventional cardiologist who is board-certified in vascular medicine. He has prior experience in wound care and hyperbaric medicine and specializes in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. 

“We are assembling some of the best clinicians in the country to attack an enormous medical need in South Texas. We’ll have access to the best technology and resources for our patients. As interventional cardiologists, we specialize in restoring blood flow. Our team includes other cardiologists, podiatrists, wound care specialists, vascular surgeons and rehabilitation therapists who each play a role in providing the best therapies for our patients,” Dr. Prasad.

Dr. Michael Sobolevsky is a board-certified podiatrist at Texas Diabetes Institute specializing in diabetes care. His practice is committed to saving limbs. Dr. Sobolevsky and his team work tirelessly to educate patients about their disease and utilize all methods possible to avoid amputation.

“By combining cardiology’s ability to restore blood flow with podiatry’s expertise in wound care and foot health, we’re offering patients the best chance to keep their limbs and maintain their quality of life,” he said.

Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, CEO and President of SAVE, The San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic. Dr. Ochoa is a renowned board-certified vascular surgeon who is also passionate about saving limbs in South Texas. She has been practicing vascular surgery in San Antonio since 2011 and founded her clinic “to serve the need for compassionate, personalized, advanced vascular care” for our growing diabetic population.

Plans for growth

University Health is initially establishing the Limb Salvage Clinic at its Texas Diabetes Institute, one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive centers for diabetes research, prevention and care, since many patients who may need limb preservation services are already receiving care at this location. 

Plans call for the program’s expansion to other University Health locations including the new University Health Palo Alto Hospital on the South Side where Dr. Ochoa will partner with the team and provide services. Palo Alto Hospital is scheduled to open in 2027.

In the news:

University Health opens clinic to combat high diabetes rates in Bexar County | News 4