Jenny finds her stride
No-one was happier than Jennifer Read’s dogs when a vascular doctor saved her foot from the risk of amputation.
The arteries in Jennifer's right foot became so constricted that the lack of blood flow to her lower leg saw her toes began to turn black leading to large ulcers and bone showing through the open wound.
“The pain was unbearable at times and I was effectively housebound,” said Jennifer who missed her daily walks with dogs Betsy and Wilbur.
Consultant interventional radiologist Lorenzo Patrone carried out a technically difficult procedure to reopen the arteries of the leg allowing blood to flow into the limb again.
This involved guiding a narrow wire into the artery via an entry point in the groin and another in the ankle to help reopen the vessels with add of miniature balloons and stents.
Lorenzo said: “It is a tricky procedure because once you go below the knee the arteries get progressively smaller which means you have less room to navigate and increase the risk of puncturing the blood vessel.
“The nature of the disease in this area of the body also means the deposits restricting the vessels contain a lot of calcium which is harder to remove.”
It was the second such procedure Jenny had who had earlier suffered the same problem in her other foot.
Jennifer added: “I can’t thank Lorenzo enough. He was so thoughtful and considerate and I even enjoyed his playlist of music that was on during the procedure.”
Her feet have since become famous in professional circles with Lorenzo sharing the case with several thousands of colleagues around the world presenting her case in international conferences and on professional social media.