Ultrasound detects blockages that caused leg cramps
But minimally invasive surgery had her back to her daily walks in no time.
Beverly Seybert, 69, is a familiar face to many in Danville, thanks to her daily walks around town — which she says are one of her great joys in life.
But pain in her calf and hip forced her to cut her routine short and spend as much time sitting on benches as walking past them.
“The pain in my legs forced me to stop and rest on the benches around town that I had mapped in my head,” says Ms. Seybert.
Telling her doctor was the key to diagnosis
She assumed the problem was just the normal aches and pains that come with age, but decided to tell Rebecca Beichner, MD, what was going on. And it’s a good thing she did.
Dr. Beichner ordered an ultrasound that revealed blockages in the arteries of Ms. Seybert’s legs.
“Since I didn’t see any discoloration, I had no idea it was so serious,” Ms. Seybert says. “Dr. Beichner picked up on it right away. It was her intuition, her good judgment. Thankfully, she caught it when she did."
After vascular surgery, she’s back to her walks in no time
Ms. Seybert was referred to Greg Salzler, MD. He explained that blockages in her iliac artery were causing her pain while walking because her muscles weren’t getting enough oxygen. The obstructed blood flow often causes cramp-like pain that can feel like a charley horse.Dr. Salzler performed minimally invasive surgery to place stents in the arteries of both of Ms. Seybert’s legs, and she went home the next day.
She felt the difference immediately. And soon, she was enjoying her walks around Danville without worrying about making it to the next bench to rest.
“She can walk as much as she wants with really no limitation because she has good blood flow down to her foot,” Dr. Salzler says, adding that Ms. Seybert was motivated to get better and recovered very well. “She told us many times how much she enjoys her walks around town.”
“I grew up in Bloomsburg and have been a Geisinger patient since my mother brought me to the hospital’s eye clinic at age 3,” says Ms. Seybert. “Geisinger has always been good to me.”
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