Blog Articles
Vascular Disease in Mississippi: Understanding Trends, Challenges, and the Growing Need for Early Intervention
Mississippi often draws attention on national health lists, and unfortunately, not for reasons most would want. The state consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for cardiovascular mortality, obesity, diabetes, and related chronic disease…
5 New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Your Vascular Health in 2026
A new year brings a fresh start, and for many people, it’s the perfect time to set goals that truly matter. While many resolutions focus on weight loss or general fitness, one area that deserves…
Caring for Elderly Patients With PAD and Diabetes: What Families Need to Know
As people grow older, diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) become increasingly common, and when they occur together, they create a dangerous combination that can threaten mobility, independence, and even life. In Mississippi and Tennessee,…
Diabetic Neuropathy and How Interventional Radiology Can Help
Diabetic neuropathy is experienced by almost half of all people who are living with diabetes. It is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy causes nerve pain, numbness, and loss of sensation.…
Why Diabetes Is a Growing Crisis: What It Means for Vascular Health in Mississippi and Tennessee
World Diabetes Day (November 14) is a moment to step back and look honestly at how diabetes has reshaped public health in the U.S. and in our community. Diabetes is no longer a rare condition;…
World Radiology Day: What Is Interventional Radiology and How It’s Changing Medical and Vascular Care Near Me
November 8 is World Radiology Day and is a great time to spotlight a medical specialty that quietly transforms care every day: interventional radiology (IR). IR uses image guidance and tiny instruments to treat problems…
Healthy Weight Loss and PAD: Smart Strategies, New Treatments, and Why Weight Matters
Weight plays a quiet but powerful role in vascular health. For people living with peripheral artery disease (PAD), carrying extra pounds can worsen symptoms, slow wound healing, and limit mobility. This blog post explains why…
World Thrombosis Day: Risks, Signs, Treatments & How Thrombosis Differs from Cosmetic Vein Care
World Thrombosis Day on October 13 is a reminder that blood clots are common, often preventable, and potentially life-threatening when they form in the deep veins or travel to the lungs. Southern VIP sees vascular…
Advanced PAD: Critical Limb Ischemia, Amputation, and Foot Rescue
When blood stops flowing well to your feet and toes, the consequences can be serious. Critical limb ischemia, or CLI, is the most severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD). It threatens healing, causes constant…
The Vocabulary of PAD: Understanding the Terms Your Doctor Uses
Being diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) can feel intimidating. Beyond the worry about your health, there is often a flood of unfamiliar medical terms. Words like angiogram, ABI, critical limb ischemia, or atherectomy may…
Treating Pain at Its Source: How Southern VIP Uses Spinal Cord Stimulation to Address Chronic Pain
For people living with chronic nerve pain, whether from sciatica, diabetes, injury, or another source, the impact goes far beyond the physical. The loss of mobility, disrupted sleep, and daily discomfort can erode your confidence,…
What to Expect at Your First Vascular Examination
If you’ve been referred for a vascular exam, you might be feeling uncertain about what comes next. Perhaps your primary care doctor noticed something unusual, or you’re experiencing symptoms like leg pain, foot wounds that…
Diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease: Adjusting to Your New Normal
You’ve just learned you have both diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)—two chronic conditions that are now part of your life. How do you adjust, physically and emotionally, to this “new normal”? First: take a…
Why Are African Americans at Higher Risk for Diabetes-Related Amputations?
“If I had gone in sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have lost my toe.” It’s a sentence we hear far too often, and not because patients don’t care about their health. In many cases, it’s because…
What Is the Pedal Loop and Why Does It Matter for Limb Saving Procedures?
You may not know what a pedal loop is, but if you or a loved one are living with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), diabetes, or chronic non-healing wounds in the feet or toes, understanding this…
Prostate Artery Embolization: A Breakthrough Solution for Enlarged Prostates
If you’re waking up multiple times a night to urinate, struggling with a weak stream, or feeling like your bladder never fully empties, you’re not alone. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, affects…
Interventional Radiologist vs. Vascular Surgeon: Who Should You See for Your Vascular Health?
Understanding the Difference Between Two Key Specialists When it comes to treating vascular conditions like Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), Varicose Veins, and Blood Clots, patients often wonder: Should I see a Vascular Surgeon or an…
Coping with Chronic Pain: 5 Strategies for a Better Quality of Life
Chronic pain affects more than 50 million adults in the United States, making it one of the most widespread health concerns today. Whether it’s caused by arthritis, nerve damage, injury, or another underlying condition, ongoing…
How a spider bite helped to save “the spiderman’s” legs from peripheral artery disease
Larry “the spiderman” Mitchell was 60 years old when he first heard about peripheral artery disease (PAD). Mr. Mitchell visited his podiatrist after a spider bit his big toe in July of 2024. The podiatrist…
Limb Loss Awareness Month
In the United States, nearly 2 million people are living with limb loss. Alarmingly, a large portion of these cases could have been prevented. Diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) are two leading causes of…
Treatment Options for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD): Foot RescueTM, Walking Therapy, and More
Did you know that nearly 8.5 million Americans are affected by Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), yet many don’t even know they have it? PAD can lead to serious complications, including non-healing foot wounds, mobility issues,…
Venous Conditions vs. Arterial Conditions: Understanding the Key Differences
When it comes to vascular health, it’s important to understand the difference between venous and arterial conditions. While both affect the circulatory system, they impact different parts of the body in distinct ways. At Southern…
Non-Healing Foot Wounds: When Poor Circulation Is the Real Problem
A small cut, blister, or sore on your foot might seem minor, but it could be a sign of a serious vascular issue if it refuses to heal. Non-healing wounds aren’t just skin-deep—they’re often a…
What is PAD? A Comprehensive Overview of Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common yet underdiagnosed circulatory condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when fatty deposits build up in the arteries, causing them to narrow and restrict blood flow to…
Dialysis Pseudoaneurysm Treatment And Followup
Dialysis patients routinely undergo two fistula punctures every other day for dialysis. I will have a fistula created, typically in the arm for dialysis. Dialysis patients routinely undergo two fistula punctures every other day for…
Aortic Stent Graft And Bilateral Iliac Stent Graft Placement
Southern VIPTM performed their first aortic stent graft and bilateral iliac stent graft placement last week. The procedure was to treat severe leg claudication (cramping), especially within both hips. She also had complete occlusion of…
What Is Prostate Artery Embolization?
Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive treatment that helps improve lower urinary tract symptoms created by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). BPH is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland and is the most…
Minuteman For Spinal Stenosis Treatment
Southern VIPTM took the next step in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis last Thursday! We performed the first three Minuteman procedures in the state of Tennessee! Southern VIPTM took the next step in the…
Regenerative Medicine For Knee Pain
If you have tried traditional pain medicine, steroid injections, and hyaluronic acid injections for chronic knee pain, and still have pain, it may be time to consider amniotic fluid and stem cells, aka “regenerative medicine”.…
Spinal Stenosis!
Having pain or weakness in your legs while standing or walking for any significant distance? Does the pain get worse while standing or walking? Does relief occur when using a walker or a shopping cart?…
Vertebral Fractures
Southern VIPTM just completed our 13th spine jack, #spinejack, this week. What an evolutionary treatment! This series shows the dramatic restoration in height achieved utilizing this system! Traditional vertebroplasty, #vertebroplasty, stabilized the fracture and gave…
Stem Cells And Exosome Therapy
Stem cell therapy has been around for several years with almost unlimited variations, including bone marrow, fat and placental sources. Until the last few years results were mostly anecdotal with no true research. Stem cell…
SpineJack at Southern VIP
We performed our fourth spine jack procedure at Southern Pain on Friday, May 18th! SpineJack is the next generation of spine compression fracture repair. In 2019, Southern VIPTM was the first in the mid-south to…
Innovative Treatment For Pelvic Fractures
We had the opportunity to help one of our patients this week with an innovative treatment technique. We had the opportunity to help one of our patients this week with an innovative treatment technique. This…
Microwave Tumor Ablation
This article discusses using microwave tumor ablation as an alternative to radiation therapy. Southern VIPTM recently performed their first soft tissue microwave ablation. This is compassionate treatment for a lady with advanced cancer causing destruction…
Genicular Artery Embolization for Chronic Postoperative Knee Pain
When you are still experiencing knee pain following a replacement, Southern VIPTM has innovative treatment options to get this pain under control. Southern VIPTM performed a new procedure for a patient that has had 2…
Minuteman for Spondylolisthesis
Using the Minuteman permanent implant device to treat Spondylolisthesis Southern VIPTM performed placement of a Minuteman device for spondylolisthesis (a “slipped” vertebrae) last week. This procedure resulted in significant almost immediate relief. The patient related…
Another Treatment Success at Southern VIP!
Treating leg pain in office with techniques a traditional pain clinic does not offer! A 62 year old patient presented to us with severe “leg pain”. Initially, she was sent to us to evaluate her…
More Success using the Minuteman Device!
Using the Minuteman device to treat degenerative disc disease 4 more incredible results with the Minuteman device implanted last week by Southern VIPTM and Dr. Tom Hodgkiss. All 4 with near complete resolution in symptoms,…
