By Beth Fisher. CREATED Jul 3, 2014 ABC 13 News Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) — Thousands of people lose their limbs every year, and they’re finding hope right here in Las Vegas. A local surgeon is the first in the country to bring a cutting edge surgery to amputees in the United States. A local woman became the first American to have the surgery done here. Elizabeth Bailey-Smith lost her leg to cancer. She underwent a cutting-edge surgery that actually attaches the prosthesis directly to her bone. She is the first woman to have this surgery done in the United States.
And the man behind the scalpel? Dr. Ronald Hillock.
For 15 years Dr. Hillock and a team of physicians have tried to bring this procedure to the U.S because patients report being able to move more naturally and expend less energy. You should know it will be years before this is widely available in the United States. This initial study is being done on 10 patients total. The second patient is scheduled for surgery in August.
