All month long, Channel 5 News has been focused on bringing the latest in diabetes research, treatment and medical advice.

South Texas Health system has teams working to help patients prevent and avoid diabetes-related amputations.

STHS launched their amputation prevention center earlier this year. Local doctors are sometimes able to destroy plaque build-up in arteries that keep blood from flowing to the leg.

"I mean this is not a cure, we don't cure diabetes, we don't cure atherosclerosis which is the end disease. I mean, what it does it provide flow to heal the wound," STHS Edinburg Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Ofsman Quintana said. "I always explain to my patients that they are bound to come back if they don't take care of the medicine, exercise, diet."

Dr. Quintana says his patients do not require general anesthesia and are able to go home the next day.