Legs for Life® Event Sept. 29 in Fredericksburg to Offer Free Vascular Screenings, Education

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Legs for Life will be held 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg. Participating medical organizations will provide free screenings to patients who have pre-registered for the event, evaluating them for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Legs for Life screenings across the nation each September raise awareness about vascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Dr. R. Donald Doherty Jr., a board-certified interventional radiologist with Virginia Interventional & Vascular Associates in Fredericksburg, recently discussed the progress of local screenings in a national press statement by the Society of Interventional Radiology, which started Legs for Life in 1998. VIVA is the interventional radiology and vascular surgery practice of Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg.

"We decided to hold—and continue to hold—Legs for Life screenings after realizing that many of our patients were concerned as symptoms of PAD became evident," Dr. Doherty said in the national announcement. "We screen more than 100 patients every year and have found that about 40 percent of our participants require follow-up for unrecognized abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease or venous reflux symptoms."

Possible signs of PAD include:

• Numbness or tingling in the lower legs or feet
• Coldness in the lower legs or feet
• Ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that will not heal.

AAA has few early symptoms, but patients with a family history of aneurysms are at increased risk. 

In addition to receiving free screenings, patients attending the event will learn about appropriate treatments, alternatives to surgery and healthy habits, said Pamela McGrath, event coordinator.

McGrath noted that pre-registration is required and slots have been filling quickly since Legs for Life was first advertised in early September. The pre-registration number is (540) 741-1404 or (800) 722-2788.

In addition to VIVA, local organizations sponsoring Legs for Life are the Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) Virginia Heart & Vascular Institute, Stafford Hospital and Medical Imaging, a partnership of MWHC and Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg.

SOURCE Virginia Interventional & Vascular Associates