Elwood’s story: Connecting with PVA was a Slam Dunk

Elwood Plummer coached basketball for 41 years. Before that, he played the game himself.

Starting in middle school, Elwood played all the way through high school and on to the collegiate level. He then taught and coached at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie Wood, Texas for decades before retiring a few years ago. Elwood and his wife Shirleta have lived in the San Antonio area for much of their lives.

To say Elwood loves the game of basketball is an understatement. So when complications from diabetes were making it more and more difficult for him to even walk comfortably, Elwood wanted, needed answers.

Elwood was referred by his primary care physician to Peripheral Vascular Associates because of a diabetes-related foot wound that would not heal. Vascular surgeon Dr. Boulos Toursarkissian eagerly took his case and determined he needed surgery to clean out and close the wound with a skin graft. That was in June of 2018. Elwood then needed another procedure in early 2019 to restore blood flow to his foot.

Elwood affectionately refers to Dr. Toursarkissian as Dr. T. And the affection doesn’t stop there. Elwood and Shirleta are so grateful for the care of a very dialed-in and compassionate doctor. “He did such a good job with my surgery and most importantly, he didn’t give up on me,” said Elwood.

Today, Elwood is healing nicely and walking more than he has in years. He can even attend his beloved basketball games again. “I’m able to be more active and it has improved my mobility a lot,” he said. “If I had to do it all again, I’d do it right away with Dr. T.”

Elwood’s referral to PVA was the game-changer for him. Why? PVA is comprised of a team of 20 experienced vascular surgeons dedicated to circulatory system disorders as they relate to arteries and veins. Vascular surgeons manage veins and arteries in every part of the body except the brain (neurosurgeons) and the heart (cardiovascular surgeons). In other words, they know the ins-and-outs of vascular-related diabetic complications more intricately than any other type of doctor.

Dr. Toursarkissian and the entire PVA team invite you to schedule an appointment for an in-office evaluation at PVA. Click here to schedule one now.