In the Pavlodar region, doctors saved a 52-year-old man from leg amputation by restoring blood flow to his lower limbs. The patient, a smoker with a 30-year habit, was admitted to the cardiac center complaining of severe pain and numbness in his legs when walking, reports infohub.kz.
Examination revealed that the man's aorta and iliac arteries were completely blocked, so blood barely reached his lower extremities. The risk of gangrene and subsequent amputation was critically high.
The patient said that doctors had warned him of the possible consequences: "They warned that ulcers would appear on my legs, my toes would turn blue and go numb. And if I didn't do anything, they would cut off my legs. Maybe because I didn't move much, always in the car, and my job is sedentary - I sit in a chair for 12 hours. I work as a depot attendant in Ekibastuz, so I move little. And at work I often smoke, especially at night. I'd go through a pack of cigarettes per shift."
Medics note that it was smoking that put the man in the hospital. To save his legs, vascular surgeons performed a complex operation - aortobifemoral bypass grafting - which lasted more than five hours.
Vascular surgeon of the Pavlodar Regional Cardiac Center Nesipzhan Pirimbet explained: "The aorta, a large vessel in the abdomen, was blocked, and the iliac artery was completely closed in the patient. We used a shunt - an artificial vessel - to restore blood flow to the lower limbs."
Now the patient's condition is gradually improving: he can already move independently, is undergoing rehabilitation, and is preparing for discharge. After recovery, the man intends to return to work and lead a healthy lifestyle.