EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two surgeons at Texas Tech Health El Paso are working to reduce amputations and improve outcomes for patients living with diabetes and complex lower-extremity conditions.<\/p>\n
Dr. Marina Tony and Dr. Joshua Ekladios focus on limb preservation, reconstruction, trauma care and expanding access to treatment in a region with significant health disparities.<\/p>\n
The couple said their shared commitment to patient care and service to underserved communities led them to pursue both a professional and personal partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met in Miami through mutual friends,\u201d podiatric surgeon Dr. Marina Tony said. \u201cOver time, our shared interests in medicine, patient care, and service to underserved populations led to both a professional connection and a shared vision for our future work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their arrival comes as diabetes continues to impact the region at higher rates than the state average. According to the Texas Diabetes Council, about 12.7 percent of adults in Texas have been diagnosed with diabetes, while El Paso County\u2019s rate is estimated at 15 percent.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to provide comprehensive, patient-centered lower extremity care that spans deformity correction, wound management, limb salvage and foot and ankle trauma,\u201d Dr. Tony said. \u201cBy addressing complex conditions early and comprehensively, we hope to reduce preventable amputations and help patients regain mobility, function and quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Joshua Ekladios grew up in South Florida and comes from a family of physicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was growing up very interested in sports,\u201d Ekladios said. \u201cBeing able to tie those kinds of interests into sports medicine and podiatric surgery was something that highlighted both of those passions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony\u2019s path was shaped by her upbringing in Egypt and Libya, where she saw firsthand the effects of untreated deformities and limb loss. She later moved to the United States and taught herself English, eventually pursuing a career in medicine.<\/p>\n
\u201cCollaborative teamwork, where the patient is put first, is what really drove us (to El Paso),\u201d Tony said.<\/p>\n
The pair treat a wide range of conditions, from routine diabetic foot care and bunions to severe trauma and complex reconstructions. They often work together on cases, combining their expertise to improve outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will see and do essentially everything,\u201d Ekladios said. \u201cFrom preventative diabetic care to major limb salvage and reconstruction to avoid aggressive amputation.\u201d<\/p>\n
They emphasized that diabetes related complications often develop over years and are frequently tied to broader health and socioeconomic factors, including limited access to care.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiabetes is a silent killer,\u201d Ekladios said. \u201cBy the time we see patients, it is often in the emergency room with major infections or deformities that have developed over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony said a team-based approach is critical, involving specialists in primary care, endocrinology, vascular surgery and infectious disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very well-studied fact that collaborative care can prevent up to 50 percent of amputations,\u201d Tony said. \u201cI tell patients, let me be the first to start that team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both physicians said education is a key part of their work, helping patients understand the seriousness of their conditions and the steps needed to improve outcomes.<\/p>\n
They also highlighted the importance of family support during recovery, especially for patients undergoing major reconstruction.<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, the surgeons said patient outcomes and feedback make the work rewarding.<\/p>\n
Tony recalled one patient who regained the ability to walk after a complex procedure.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me her family mentioned my name at Thanksgiving because her mom was able to walk again,\u201d Tony said. \u201cThat is the kind of impact that stays with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ekladios said patients often appreciate the approachable, collaborative care the couple provides.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, our job is to get them back to their daily activities,\u201d Ekladios said. \u201cWe talk to them like we would our own family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two surgeons at Texas Tech Health El Paso are working to reduce amputations…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":240944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":["post-240943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}