Thibodaux Regional’s Momentum Continues On
October 17, 2018
You Wake Up and Feel Sick. Do You Go to Work? Do You Stay Home?
October 17, 2018
On a map of the world, Houma will almost never be pinpointed.
If it is, it will be just a speck of ink just to the southwest of New Orleans — a place that isn’t known to most of the world, except to those who have been there.
But when it comes to the world map of medicine and specifically cardiovascular care, Houma is absolutely, 100 percent on the map — a place where innovation is taking place and citizens are getting healthier at rates that are exceeding regional and statewide averages.
Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) started in 1983 and has now served the community for 35 years strong under the hard work and innovative vision of Dr. Craig Walker.
Since opening, CIS has expanded and has 22 locations (many are local), 60 physicians and 700 team members.
Oh yeah, and what they’re doing works! Louisiana’s heart disease death rates have dropped significantly in the past 35 years in the areas that CIS have opened locations.
“Our greatest accomplishment has been that we have dramatically improved cardiovascular outcomes in each of the areas where we have established practices and this is confirmed by national statistics,” Dr. Walker said.
With a name like Cardiovascular Institute of the South, it’s obvious that Dr. Walker and his staff center a lot of their focus on hearts — both in caring for those of the patient, but also lending their warmth of their own to the patient.
That’s since day one. Dr. Walker said when he started CIS, he wanted to provide state-of-the-art cardiac and peripheral vascular care to those in need.
But that is multi-pronged. Of course, that requires talented doctors, the best technology and all of the other things in the world of medicine. But it also requires having a warmth and comfort — giving patients some South Louisiana-style love during their time of need.
The plan has had a continual success. CIS is affiliated with Nicholls State University and works to train nurses and health professionals to get them ready for their careers in the field.
They’ve also contributed heavily to the advancement and development of non-surgical treatments for cardiovascular disease. These procedures are minimally-invasive and are lower-risk than traditional surgery. Recovery time is shorter, as well.
For their work, CIS has received international acclaim as a leader of research and development by participating in clinical research trials. Physicians, including Dr. Walker, also give lectures across the country on new techniques and methods for treating both cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease.
Dr. Walker has visited China for the past nine years to offer physician training to Chinese doctors on interventional treatments for peripheral arterial disease and limb salvage. He also is part of a Chinese mentorship program that welcomes their doctors into the United States to learn the new, innovative techniques being done here so that they can replicate them around the world.
“From the beginning, we sought out new techniques and helped to develop techniques to better care for our patients,” Dr. Walker said. “Our physicians have been awarded academic positions and have been asked to lecture and teach around the world. We have also worked with the youth of our area who aspire to receive medical education to help them achieve their dreams and to hopefully encourage them to give back to their communities. This will ensure that our dream lives on.”
CIS celebrated their 35th anniversary earlier this year — an outstanding honor for Dr. Walker and staff.
They hope for many, many more, because longevity means lives are saved locally. And that is what it’s all about in the world of medicine.
MORE THAN JUST HEARTS — LEARN ABOUT PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE
With the word “cardiovascular” in its name, one might think that CIS deals with just heart-related issues.
But that is not the case.
Dr. Walker is a strong advocate for raising awareness toward the dangers of peripheral artery disease — an unknown ailment that affects one in 20 Americans over the age of 50.
Peripheral artery disease is caused when plaque builds up in the legs — just like they would do in the heart.
In a heart, plaque build-up would cause angina or, eventually, a heart attack, but in the legs, the dangers are just as real. Blockages stop the legs from receiving oxygen-rich blood, which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, but can also make one at risk for an amputation.
Dr. Walker said smokers are at greatest risk for this disease, raising the risk factor by as much as 5x. Other risk factors are diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Symptoms are mild, which cause the disease to often get overlooked. They include leg pain when exercising, cramping, foot or toe pain or numbness in the feet or toes.
“The most severe manifestation of this disease is critical limb ischemia, which is the leading cause of major amputations throughout the world,” Dr. Walker said, explaining the severe risk.
At CIS, doctors work aggressively to diagnose peripheral artery disease early because if detected in early stages, recovery is much more manageable.
Lifestyle adjustments are suggested for some with peripheral artery disease. This can be quitting smoking, exercising more or changing a diet. In advanced cases, minimally invasive surgery or bypass operations may be needed to restore the blood flow and prevent amputation.
Dr. Walker said CIS takes pride in its interventional treatment methods which have had hundreds, if not thousands of success stories, which have literally saved people’s limbs and lives, allowing them to become mobile again. •
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
