Surgeon helps care worker walk again
Football has always played a big part in Yadvinder Singh Purewal’s life from being a lifelong Liverpool supporter to coaching youngsters in Ealing at the Guru Nanak Sikh Academy.
The ability to be light on your feet also came in handy in his former career as one of only two Asian court bailiffs working in the capital.
“I swear I’ve walked around every council estate in London chasing debts.” says the 53 year-old who has also worked as a care worker supporting young people.
A combination of diabetes and smoking finally caught up with Purewal last year when he found it painful to put even one foot in front of the other.
The arteries in his legs had become so constricted hardly any blood was reaching his lower limbs and his toes were showing signs of gangrene.
Nung Rudarakanchana, an endovascular surgeon at Northwick Park Hospital, said: “It’s like squeezing a hose until only a trickle of water comes out of it. Left untreated we may have to amputate the limb to save the patient’s life.
North West London has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country but one of the lowest amputation rates, thanks to the pioneering work of the specialist Multidisciplinary Diabetic Foot Team that works closely together at London North West University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Nung managed to save Yadvinder’s legs during two separate procedures which involved guiding a wire and balloons into the artery of each leg via a needle puncture in the groin.
The balloons helped reopen the arteries, allowing blood to circulate back through the limbs.
Yadvinder, who was awake during the procedure, said: “It was amazing to feel the warmth and feeling return to my legs and I was actually able to walk out of hospital later that day.”