Daniel M. Alterman, MD, practices what he preaches. As a vascular surgeon and co-owner of The Vascular & Vein Institute of the South — the largest vascular surgery practice in the Mid-South — Daniel fixes circulation in the legs to prevent amputation, while also promoting a healthy lifestyle through his part-time career as a long-distance runner.
Daniel admits to having spent much of his young adult years training in medicine, without much focus on exercise. When a colleague invited him to run in a 5K four years ago, Daniel was both surprised and disappointed to find it a difficult endeavor that left him with a calf sprain.
“I thought, I’ve got to make this better. I started training, realizing in the process that I loved running and exercising for what it does for me physically and mentally,” he says. Six months into training, Daniel signed up for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon®, only to discover he wanted to run longer distances. This led him to complete his first 50K and 100-mile race, a pastime he now casually refers to as his “weekend gig.” Along the way, Daniel found himself drawn to the people who comprise the ultramarathon community. “Everyone has a different story of why they’re there,” he says. “Hearing those stories is inspiring.”
These days, Daniel logs 60–100 miles per week, runs one ultramarathon per month, and cross-trains.
“There’s a lot of science and high-level medical evidence that even 30 minutes of walking three times per week will stabilize peripheral circulation and prevent PAD.”
Many patients at The Vascular & Vein Institute tend to have poor health habits, such as smoking and a lack of exercise. “To make these treatments durable, we need to discuss lifestyle choices, which is a massive part of restoring circulation,” or what he refers to as “the plumbing of the arteries and veins.”
When patients and colleagues express disbelief at how Daniel manages 10–12 hours of running weekly with such a demanding job, Dr. Alterman responds, “I see it the other way around. It gives me energy, improves my sleep, and relieves stress.”
The Vascular & Vein Institute sees the most urgent cases, such as clogged arteries in the neck that lead to strokes, severe circulation issues, gangrene, and those facing amputation. Despite this, his clinic maintains some of the best outcomes in the country, preventing over 90% of amputation cases. “We’ve invested in the latest tools and cutting-edge techniques,” he explains, in addition to their team’s combined 50 years of experience.
Shelby County has the highest amputation rate in the United States. “Some people are treated dismissively in medicine, which ties into disparities in healthcare,” Daniel explains of his charity work, traveling to treat underserved communities, including areas of Mississippi and Arkansas. “It takes a certain sense of calling, compassion, and effort.”
As someone who spent 14 years in school, Daniel not only understands effort but also the satisfaction of seeing challenges through. His running practice “is an extension of that attitude, trying hard things and feeling success, knowing you can when other people might think that is not possible,” he says.
The ultramarathon community is rather small, and Daniel enjoys meeting interesting people along the way and seeing repeat runners. “Everyone has a different story of why they’re there. Hearing those stories gives you a lot of energy.”
For more information, visit Vascularandveininstitute.com.
By Shlomit Ovadia
Photo by Tindall Stephens
