A US$5-million gift from Lorraine and Bill Dodero is set to establish the eponymously named Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center at University Hospitals (UH) Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute in Cleveland, USA. Led by interventional cardiologist Mehdi Shishehbor, who is a pioneer in the field of limb preservation, the Dodero Center aims to revolutionise care for patients at risk of amputation due to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and diabetes.
“Amputation statistics are bleak, and amputation should be a last resort,” said Shishehbor, president of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick chair in innovation at UH. “This is why we are passionate about pursuing alternatives to amputation for our patients. When we save a limb, we save a life. We are deeply grateful to the Doderos for their heartfelt recognition and unwavering support of this worthy mission.”
The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center will aim to lessen the burden of amputation by creating a national destination for limb preservation care; discovering new and uninvestigated treatments for chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) and diabetes associated arterial diseases; educating more physicians at every level on innovations in vascular health and revascularisation; and ensuring patients facing amputation at UH and beyond know they have options.
Shishehbor has contributed to multiple societal guidelines, published more than 200 manuscripts on this topic, and has trained hundreds of physicians worldwide. He has also served as co-principal investigator for the PROMISE II US pivotal clinical trial, which found the novel LimFlow therapy enabled most patients to avoid amputation.
“UH is committed to improving the health of all people by advancing science and human health,” said Shishehbor. “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. 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.”
As part of the new center, UH will also coordinate an annual international conference for limb preservation in Cleveland, sharing advances and best practices with experts across the globe.
