STHS Edinburg offering free screenings for peripheral artery disease

In observance of peripheral artery disease (or PAD) Awareness Month, South Texas Health System Edinburg will be providing free Doppler screenings on Tuesday.

The screenings will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the main lobby of STHS Edinburg, which is located at 1102 W. Trenton Road in Edinburg. No pre-registrations are necessary.

A Doppler screening is a non-invasive screening method that uses ultrasound to assess blood flow, speed and direction in order to identify any blockages or narrowing caused by plaque buildup in the arteries.

Dr. Ofsman E. Quintana, medical director at STHS Limb Salvage and Amputation Prevention Program, explained in a news release that the device is able to create a graph that represents the blood flow of the patient which allows physicians to pinpoint where the blockage may be.

“A Doppler screening can detect PAD at an early stage when lifestyle changes and medical interventions are most effective,” Quintana said. “For those with PAD, it can assess the severity of the condition, allowing clinicians to develop appropriate care plans, which may include conservative measures or procedures like angioplasty.”

PAD is a vascular condition that causes plaque buildup in the arteries in the legs, pelvic area or arms.

Although not everyone with PAD experiences symptoms; some may experience symptoms like changes in the skin such as temperature or thin, brittle, shiny skin on the legs and feet, a weak pulse in the legs and feet, gangrene, hair loss on the legs, impotence, numbness, weakness or heaviness in the muscles and pain when resting.

Other symptoms include paleness when legs are elevated, a reddish-blue discoloration of extremities, restricted mobility, thickened or opaque toenails and slow healing wounds, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

For more information about the screenings call the STHS marketing department at (956) 388-2033 or visit www.southtexashealthsystemedinburg.com for more information about the program.

Screenings will also be available later that same day from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. during STHS Limb Salvage and Amputation Prevention Program’s Step Out PAD Walkathon. For more information about the walkathon, visit the STHS Facebook events page at www.facebook.com.

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