Diabetic Foot Surgery
Introduction
Surgeons perform diabetic foot surgery as an important intervention. This surgery treats individuals with diabetes who have foot complications. These complications arise from prolonged high sugar levels. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in the feet. It can even lead to infections. Doctors may recommend surgery when the complications are severe.
What is Diabetic Foot Surgery?
Diabetic foot surgery is a group of surgical procedures aimed at correcting foot conditions due to diabetes infections, ulcers, deformities, or gangrene. Initiated by poorly treated diabetes, these conditions can cause severe alterations to the blood vessels and nerves in the feet, which in turn leads to a lack of sensation, poor circulation and the formation of ulcers. Surgical intervention generally becomes necessary to prevent serious complications or amputations when uncomplicated treatments fail.
Why Is Diabetic Foot Surgery Necessary?
Complications on the feet are one of the most common and severe problems faced by diabetics, predominantly by those whose blood sugar levels are not well controlled. Some of the factors necessitating Foot surgery for diabetes are listed below:
- Infection: Diabetes can impair the body’s capacity to deal with infections, thus leading to severe infections on the feet, which refuse to heal with any non-surgical treatment.
- Ulcer: Chronic ulcers resistant to healing can end up killing the tissue or requiring further surgical repair.
- Deformities: Doctors have recognized changes in the structure of the foot in the case of diabetic neuropathy; for example, surgeons can surgically correct Charcot’s foot.
- Gangrene: In the extreme, circulation and infections can lead to gangrene, whereas, with correct treatments, the possibility of amputation becomes valid.
- Poor circulation: In severely compromised situations, surgery may be required to provide the feet with a supply of blood.
Types of Surgery for Diabetic Foot Disease
Depending upon the severity and type of complications affecting the foot, doctors may perform various surgical procedures:
- Debridement: Removal of dead and infected tissue from the ulcer to promote healing.
- Amputation: In certain patients with an advancing infection or gangrene, amputation may be necessary to prevent further damage.
- Reconstructive surgery: This refers to surgery that is corrective for malformation of the foot due to neuropathy or some other complication.
- Vascular Surgery: If the blood supply is poorly perfused, vascular surgery may help save blood flow to the foot.
Steps of the Procedure
Among the general steps performed in diabetic foot surgery, we highlight the following:
- Pre-surgery consultation: General examination of the foot and medical condition to determine the more suitable surgical procedure.
- Anesthesia: Depending upon the procedure, local or general anesthesia is administered to the patient.
- Surgical Intervention: From removal of necrotic tissue to amputation, surgical intervention may help in correcting foot deformities.
- Post-operative management: After surgery, patients are observed for possible signs of infection and poor healing of the wound.
Benefits of Diabetic Foot Surgery
Some useful aspects of this surgery include:
- Limb salvage: The surgery may save the patient’s foot or toes from amputation due to uncontrolled infection or gangrene.
- Improved quality of life: Selectively treating foot ulcers, infections, and/or deformities that limited the patients would return ambulation, which is a new lease on life.
- Quicker healing: The surgical removal of diseased or dead tissue may facilitate the healing of a wound and decrease the chances of later complications.
- Pain control: In some cases, surgical interventions relieve pain originating from diabetic neuropathy or other foot deformities.
Cost of Foot surgery for diabetes
- United States: $10,000 to $30,000
- United Kingdom: $5,000 to $12,000.
- India: $2,500 to $5,000
Best Hospitals in India for Diabetic Foot Surgery
Diabetic foot surgery will be performed in the many specialties of famous Indian hospitals. The best ones are:
- Metro Hospital, Faridabad: Metro Hospital provides the highest-level basic diabetic foot care and surgery that emphasizes effective recovery and patient safety.
- Apollo Hospital, Delhi: Since they are presently one of the finest hospital groups, with updated facilities and medical staff, their diabetic foot care and surgery are within the best reach.
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi: Max Hospital has expertise in diabetic foot treatments and the advanced treatment modalities it offers, including diabetic foot surgery.
- Fortis Hospital, Noida, Specializes in offering advanced surgical interventions for diabetic foot complications.
Risks and Complications of Diabetic Foot Surgery
Diabetic foot surgery is as dangerous as surgery can go, and it has numerous risks. Some of those risks are as follows:
- Infection: Because a deficiency of a strong immune system causes diabetic patients to suffer, they increase the risk of clinching post-operative infections and complications during surgery.
- Slow healing: Poor blood circulation and nerve damage could cause slower healing of wounds for diabetic patients.
- Amputation: In severe cases of complications, this could lead to the amputation of a foot or leg.
- Formation of blood clots: This is a risk because surgery places patients who already have poor circulation at a higher risk of developing blood clots.
- Scarring: This is a rare occurrence (nonetheless, quite serious), wherein a person experiences an immense degree of scarring and deformity.
Recovery from Diabetic Foot Surgery
Post-surgical recovery after Foot surgery for diabetes may depend on the form of surgery performed and the patient’s health condition at the time. In most cases, patients generally pass through:
- Hospital stay: Most patients will remain in the hospital under constant supervision for a period between 2 and 7 days.
- Wound care: A vital consideration after surgery is how to take care of the surgical site to A) avoid infections and B) boost healing.
- Physical therapy: Some cases may require this therapy for the individual to regain functionality and mobility in the foot.
- Follow-up: Regular follow-up visits with the surgeon after surgery are essential for monitoring progress and ensuring there are no contributing complications.
Doctors strongly advise patients to adhere to their instructions and changes in lifestyle, including controlling their blood sugar levels to prevent future foot problems. Diabetic foot surgery becomes an imperative treatment for such individuals with serious foot complications caused by diabetes. Proper care and early intervention can help these patients recover and avoid further complications. While India is one of the best options for diabetic foot surgery, it can boast of great treatment facilities at an affordable rate, making it one of the best in medical tourism.
