‘The patient is more than just their disease’
As a new vascular and interventional radiologist for Franciscan Health’s Northern Indiana hospitals, Dennis Prohaska, DO, says he employs a holistic approach to medicine.
“The patient is more than just their disease. I listen to their concerns and involve them in the decisions on what is best for them,” he said. “I believe the patient really is the one who does the healing; the body heals itself. Physicians are just here to nudge it in the right direction and help the healing process any way we can.”
Dr. Prohaska said his specialty isn’t readily available in the area, which had a hand in his decision to join the Franciscan Health medical staff.
“It’s kind of a unique specialty. Only about 250 people are trained in the U.S. annually,” he said.
Prohaska said his craft is a minimally invasive specialty done mostly with a needle, which allows for more rapid recovery and healing than traditional procedures.
“I treat tumors, do biopsies of tumors of the lungs, thyroid and liver, commonly; and work with oncologists to treat and cure cancer. I also treat a wide range of other things, such as occlusion in arteries and veins, and insert stents and do angioplasties to restore blood flow.”
He also treats a variety of other conditions, such as life-threatening bleeding, uterine fluids, varicose veins and blood clots, all using x-ray, CT and ultrasound guidance.
Dr. Prohaska said his interest in medicine was sparked as a child, when he would ride on ambulances with his firefighter-father and transport patients to hospitals. After later becoming a physician assistant and spending three years working in an emergency room, he decided to pursue what would become his specialty.
“I saw that every patient’s life was affected in some way by radiology. I felt it was a focal point in medicine. I picked interventional radiology because I could see how procedures positively affect outcomes and allow patients to get diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
Dennis Prohaska, DO, can be reached at (708) 915-5671. He is an independent physician who chooses to practice with Franciscan Health.
