St. John’s hospital offers new PAD testing and visiting clinic
Kalispell doctor to offer Libby visits to screen for Peripheral Arterial Disease
by St. John’s Lutheran Hospital
March 9, 2011
St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in Libby has teamed up with The Vascular Center and Kalispell Regional Medical Center to offer a clinic that will focus on the testing, early identification, and treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
PAD happens when there is a narrowing of the blood vessels outside of the heart. The cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque on the walls of arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. This plaque causes the arteries to narrow or become blocked, which can reduce or stop blood flow, usually to the legs, causing them to hurt or feel numb. If severe enough, blocked blood flow can cause tissue death; and if the condition goes untreated, a foot or leg may need to be amputated. A person with PAD also has an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The good news is that it is possible to stop or reverse the buildup of plaque in the arteries with dietary changes, exercise, and efforts to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, which is why the early detection of this disease is so important.
Beginning on March 10, 2011, Dr. Robert Mitchell will hold a regularly scheduled clinic at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in the Medical Arts West building. Dr. Mitchell is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, vascular medicine, and vascular ultrasound and has extensive experience treating poly-vascular atherosclerosis and PAD. Dr. Mitchell regularly screens and treats patients from the Libby area at his office in Kalispell and is excited about working with St. John’s to hold a clinic in Libby.
In addition to Dr. Mitchell’s regular clinics, St. John’s Lutheran Hospital will be doing screenings for the disease. "The screenings for PAD, called an ankle-brachial index (ABI) will be done at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital prior to, or at the time of a patient’s scheduled appointment with Dr. Mitchell," stated Robert O’Rourke, Manager of the Cardiopulmonary Department at St. John’s. "An ABI compares blood pressure in the ankle with blood pressure in the arm to see how well blood is flowing in those areas. The hospital decided to purchase the necessary equipment and train the staff to perform ABI tests because we realized the importance of early detection, and because we wanted to support Dr. Mitchell’s efforts. This is also a procedure that any of our local physicians can utilize for their patients; so having it here in Libby just makes sense."
Treatments for PAD may include lifestyle changes, drug therapies, exercise therapy, endovascular approaches, surgery, and more. For more information, call Dr. Mitchell at 406-293-1920.
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