The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center will be led by UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute’s president, Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, PhD, a “pioneer in the field of limb preservation,” according to a Feb. 10 news release from the health system.
University Hospitals aims to make the Dodero Center a “national destination” for limb preservation for patients with peripheral artery disease and diabetes. The health system will also host an annual limb preservation conference as part of the new center, the release said.
University Hospitals previously established a Limb Salvage Advisory Council for specialists to meet and discuss all possible treatment paths before scheduling an amputation. The council was found to reduce major amputations by 76%.
“Statistically, amputees are disproportionately of lower socioeconomic status and African Americans are up to four times more likely to undergo an amputation than white Americans,” Dr. Shishehbor said in the release. “All people should have the opportunity to receive the necessary medical resources and support for a healthier life, regardless of their status in the community or their race.”
The Doderos previously established the Lorraine and Bill Dodero Chair in Heart Failure and Transplantation at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.
