Diabetic Foot - How To Take Care Of It?

Hi,

I am Dr. Shrikant Bhoyar, Diabetic Foot Surgeon. You all will agree that feet are worship in India but they are the most abused and neglected part of the body. We look at our face at least 3-4 times in a day but we hardly look at our feet. We look only when there is an injury or pain. Imagine in a diabetic, who has developed neuropathy and there is a loss of sensation in the foot. Imagine that nail is pricking into the foot but this person will not come to know about the injury. He will come to know only when there is a bleeding or infection or foul smell. By the time it becomes very late. So, there is no alternate root to go for amputation. Prevention of amputation is very much important when you give very much importance to your feet. Especially the diabetic patients. In diabetics, why ulcers and injury occurs. There is a neuropathy, sensitive neuropathy, motor neuropathy. Insensitive neuropathy, there is a loss of complete sensation. The patient can come with nail injury, the patient can develop burns, sitting on the motorcycle can have a silent injury. Because of motor neuropathy, muscles and foot become weak.

There can be more weakness on some side so, biomechanics of the foot changes. The pressure comes at some other place of part of the foot and the patient may develop thickness of the skin. Sometimes, loss of sweat secretion we see at the injured part. They can develop cracks, the infection can go into the foot and can cause ulcer and amputation. So, ulcer treatment is very much important. 85% os the amputation starts from the ulcer. Healing of the ulcer is very much important. In our clinic, there are a lot of modalities by which we heal the ulcer. If they already have developed ulcer or injury, we have other modalities through which we can remove the infection. If there is a vasculopathy, there is a loss of blood supply in the foot and through which they can develop gangrene infection so, angioplasty and bypass can be done for this type of patients to prevent amputations. So, take care of your foot as you take care of your face. For that proper foot care is very important. For a normal diabetic patient, we suggest and advise so that he can take care of his feet. In case, if he develops ulcer, we have modalities to heal the ulcer.

Thank You!