Eskenazi Health now offers an innovative surgery aimed at relieving the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include numbness, pain and weakness in the hands and/or feet.

Over half of diabetics will develop peripheral neuropathy after 10 years. Other common causes include chemotherapy-induced and HIV-associated neuropathy. In some patients, a cause is never found and a diagnosis  of idiopathic neuropathy is made.

Through a physical exam and selective nerve blocking, Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher, a plastic surgeon at Eskenazi Health, can determine whether a specific nerve is being compressed. If a nerve compression is diagnosed, an outpatient procedure can relieve the compression with improvement in  symptoms.

“Prior to my surgery, my pain was so severe that I’d wish for my legs to be amputated if I didn’t have access to narcotics,” said Lawrence Payton, a 53-year-old patient suffering from diabetic neuropathy for 18 months. “Now, I’m happy to say that I’m already back to my regular activities just three weeks after my procedure!”

In addition to relieving chronic pain, this procedure also assists in preventing ulcerations, re-ulcerations and amputations. The outpatient procedure takes approximately 90 minutes or less to complete. If you believe you may be suffering from peripheral neuropathy, please call 317.274.3636 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gallagher to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure.

Dr. Gallagher came to the U.S. in 2006 after graduating in the top 3 percent of her medical school class in Dublin, Ireland. She completed five years of general surgery in Philadelphia, becoming a board-certified general surgeon, prior to coming to Indiana where she completed three years of training in plastic surgery under the direction of Dr. Rajiv Sood, medical director of the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center at Eskenazi Health and division chief and professor of plastic surgery at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine. Dr. Gallagher went on to advance her training working alongside prominent surgeons in Australia and Belgium before returning to Indianapolis. Dr. Gallagher is a member of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.

For more information on the services offered through Eskenazi Health, please call 317.880.0000.

CONTACT: Todd Harper
Phone: 317.880.4785
Pager: 317.310.5972 
Email: todd.harper@eskenazihealth.edu