Retired nurse needs surgery to relieve severe leg pain from PAD

Deirdre Lopez-Marquez is a retired nurse who spent 47 years running through the hospital to care for her patients and pushing hospital beds down the hall. She was always very active. In 2019, she started noticing a burning sensation in her legs when she walked.

“I was unable to climb stairs,” said Deirdre. “I could not go more than 30 feet without having to stop. It was awful.”

Deirdre was diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a common problem where the peripheral arteries narrow and reduce blood flow to the arms and legs. On Sept. 10, Deidre had surgery at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant to relieve her symptoms.

“Deirdre needed aortobifemoral bypass surgery to bypass the blockages in her abdomen. This was not something that could be fixed with balloons and stents,” said Dr. Boulos Toursarkissian, a vascular surgeon at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant. “Surgery was required, but she should be almost back to normal when she recovers.”

Deirdre hopes to be able to get back to traveling with her husband and working part-time as a nurse.

September is PAD Awareness Month.