How Touro’s Heart Experts Saved a Woman’s Leg and Her Independence

A few days after her 73^rd birthday, Olevia Sanders travelled from her home in Mississippi to New Orleans to visit a friend. When she began to experience severe swelling and pain in her feet, the timing of her New Orleans visit would prove to be a blessing.

With the exception of an occasional cold, Olevia had been in good health all her life. When her feet began to swell, she had no idea that the minor symptoms were an early warning sign of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a condition where arteries that supply blood flow to the legs become narrowed or blocked by plaque buildup.

“The swelling went away and came back a few times,” Olevia said. “I went to an urgent care clinic twice for the swelling, and, at the second visit, they told me I should go to an emergency room. I put it off for a few more days though, trying old school methods at home until the pain in my right leg became too much.”

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) often progresses silently. Over time, the reduced blood flow to Olevia’s legs had caused tissue damage, which triggered her swelling and pain. By the time her symptoms appeared, the disease had reached an advanced stage known as critical limb ischemia, which is when tissues begin to die and the risk of amputation greatly increases. Olevia went to the Touro Infirmary emergency room, where she was quickly admitted and soon learned that she was at risk of losing her right foot.

“I told them, ‘You can hit me over the head with a frying pan and throw me out the window rather than take my foot,’” Olevia said. “I could not imagine living without my foot. I would be miserable without it.”

Leveraging A Team Approach To Prevent Amputations

“By the time I met Olevia, the toes on her right foot were infected, and gangrene was a possibility,” explained Leonard Glade, MD, a Touro interventional cardiologist. “We had to amputate her toes to give her foot a fighting chance.”

Dr. Glade then partnered with Michael Adinolfi, MD, a Touro vascular surgeon, to perform a successful revascularization surgery to clear out the plaque buildup and widen Olevia’s vessels to restore blood flow to her right foot. Olevia is one of hundreds of patients who have benefitted from Touro’s proactive, team-based approach to prevent amputations.

“We’ve enhanced collaboration between our cardiovascular, wound care, and infectious disease teams to prevent amputations,” Dr. Glade said. “Mississippi, where Olevia lives, and Louisiana are ‘hot zones’ for non-traumatic amputations. We knew that by taking a more proactive approach to saving limbs, we could significantly improve outcomes for our patients.”

According to the American Heart Association, the national average for non-traumatic amputations is 45.5 per 100,000 people. In comparison, Louisiana’s average is 76.7, and Mississippi’s is 129.7—among the highest in the nation. Since 2020, Touro has reduced its above- and below-knee amputations by half.

“What I’m most proud of in Olevia’s case is how our team took a complex, high-risk situation and delivered the best possible outcome for her,” Dr. Glade said. “And, it helps that she’s delightfully feisty! She was determined to maintain her independence and quality of life, and she’s done just that.”

Back on Her Feet and Living Life to the Fullest

Between her surgery and rehabilitation, Olevia spent about eight months in New Orleans before Drs. Glade and Adinolfi cleared her to return home to Mississippi.

“They were willing to help me find doctors in Mississippi to continue my care, but I trusted them and didn’t want anyone else,” Olevia said. “So, every six months, I take a train from Mississippi to New Orleans just to see Dr. Glade and Dr. Adinolfi. I have nothing but great things to say about everyone who helped take care of me, so I like to tell my story about the wonderful people at Touro and how they fought for me.”

Today, Olevia is pain-free and enjoying retirement—and her independence.

“On one trip back to New Orleans for my doctor appointments, I left my walker in my granddaughter’s car when she dropped me off at the train,” Olevia recalled. “It was going to cost almost $100 to ship it to me, and I said, ‘Absolutely not. I will be fine.’ Haven’t used the walker since!”

While Olevia’s story has a happy ending, severe cases of PAD are far too common for Dr. Glade, and he encourages people to know their risk factors and take action to prevent the risk of amputation.

“High blood pressure, diabetes and tobacco use greatly increase one’s risk of PAD,” Dr. Glade said. “It’s also very important to see a primary care physician regularly. Early diagnosis and proper management of PAD can slow disease progression and prevent amputations.”

More than 10 million adults in the U.S. live with PAD, increasing their risk of amputation, heart attack and stroke. That’s where Touro’s Heart & Vascular Care team is here to help. With a network of specialists utilizing the latest cardiac technology, Touro is where New Orleans’ hearts come to heal and get back into the rhythm of life.

For more information about Heart and Vascular Care at Touro, visit https://www.lcmchealth.org/touro/our-services/heart-vascular-care/.