Second Opinion, Second Chance
CHOCOLAY TOWNSHIP – Chuck L’Huillier sits astride his John Deere tractor, flanked by blooming lilac bushes in the yard at his Chocolay Township home. “My son just sharpened the blades,” explains the 75-year-old retired sheet metal worker, who recently found himself coming to grips with what he thought was the reality of never riding his tractor, or never again being capable of performing the yard work he loves.
L’Huillier was facing amputation of his right leg at the knee as the result of poor circulation rooted in type-two diabetes. But an eleventh hour decision to meet with surgeon Dr. Joel Johnson of Upper Great Lakes Vascular, about a new surgical procedure, changed L’Huillier’s life.
After learning he may lose his leg, L’Huillier said he was “bombarded with advice” and felt at a loss as to how to proceed. Two days prior to the scheduled amputation surgery, L’Huillier decided to follow the advice of a relative and met with Dr. Joel Johnson to learn more about a procedure that would ultimately save his leg.
“Dr. Johnson wasn’t about to let me have that leg cut off,” recalled L’Huillier.
Amazingly, Dr. Johnson, a board certified vascular surgeon on the medical staff of Bell Hospital in Ishpeming, had just acquired the “Diamondback 360.”
Dr. Johnson explained, “The Diamondback is a groundbreaking new surgical device used to remove calcified plaque buildup in patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. More than 12 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from PAD – a life-threatening condition where plaque builds up on the inside of blood vessels.”
The diabetic-related poor circulation problem in L’Huillier’s legs was compounded by a foot ulcer that developed on the fourth toe of his right leg. Although L’Huillier’s toe eventually had to be removed, during two separate procedures Dr. Johnson was able to increase blood circulation to both of his lower legs.
Dr. Johnson said, “Mr. L’Huillier was the first patient in the U.P. region I treated using the Diamondback 360. The result was phenomenal.”
“I had been told there was no other way other than to amputate the leg,” said L’Huillier. “But Dr. Johnson said, ‘I can save this leg.’ After the surgery (performed at Bell), Dr. Johnson came in and said he was very pleased with the result. Then it was time to go home. I left the hospital within a few hours after going there.”
According to Dr. Johnson, “The Diamondback device differs from previous technology in its ability to remove hard, calcified plaque – in addition to other common kinds of plaque – using a unique ‘orbiting’ action. A tiny, diamond-coated crown uses the principles of centrifugal force to rapidly spin or ‘orbit’ at high speeds and sand away plaque, while preserving the healthy tissue of the arterial wall.”
L’Huillier said, “I watched most of (the surgical procedure). I was awake and the screen was right there. Only a few days before, the amputation was scheduled, I got in to see Dr. Johnson and cancelled the amputation surgery because he was so confident the leg could be saved.”
Having installed heating and cooling units for 30 years as a member of Local #7 Sheet Metal Workers, L’Huillier is now busy with his yard work and enjoying his 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The recent cool and wet weather has kept him indoors more than he’d like and now he’s eager to give his John Deere a workout.
Chuck L’Huillier’s wife, Betty, said, “It was amazing. His toes were actually warm just after the surgery at Bell. They treated him great. It’s unbelievable, when you stop to think about it, how close he came to losing that leg.”