New treatment for diabetic foot

When specific symptoms of diabetic foot are detected in a patient with diabetes, treatment should be started immediately. Clinical manifestations of diabetic foot depend on the form of development of the process. There are 2 forms of diabetic foot – ischemic and neuropathic. The definition of a particular form of diabetic foot affects the timing and type of conservative treatment. There is a surgical method of treatment that can prevent limb amputation and resume tissue trophism. Find out about a new treatment for diabetic foot in our article.

Determination of the form of the process before starting the treatment of diabetic foot

Ischemic form – accompanied by pain and fatigue of the legs, intermittent lameness. To the touch, the foot is cold and pale, swelling is pronounced. Pulsation is absent or weakened, hyperpigmentation may appear on the skin of the feet. Calluses appear on the foot, cracks on the heels that do not heal. In the future, ulcers develop, the bottom of which is covered with a scab. Skin necrosis without exudation (dry necrosis), which is taken into account in the treatment of diabetic foot.

Neuropathic – this form of diabetic foot may present with neuropathic ulcers, neuropathic edema, and osteoarthropathy.

Types of neuropathic diabetic foot:

• An ulcer develops in areas of the foot that are subject to a lot of pressure. In these areas, calluses and areas of keratosis are formed, under which an ulcer is formed. With this form of damage, the foot is warm to the touch, dry, ulcers and deep cracks are visualized, the edges of which are hyperemic and swollen.
• Charcot's joint or osteoarthropathy is accompanied by destruction of the bone-articular apparatus, which is manifested by frequent fractures, deformity and swelling of the joint.
• Neuropathic edema of the foot is characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the subcutaneous tissues, which significantly exacerbates pathological changes in the feet. The neuropathic form differs from the ischemic form by the persistence of pulsation in the arteries, ulcerative lesions with the presence of exudate, decreased sensitivity and reflexes, and localization of ulcers in places of increased stress. Treatment of diabetic foot is possible in the presence of any form.

A new treatment for diabetic foot

Treatment of diabetic foot consists primarily in restoring the blood supply to the vessels of the foot.  This can be achieved with a new surgical method of treatment.

Currently, a new method of treating diabetic foot – endovascularization. Surgical intervention involves angioplasty of the arteries of the legs. Manipulation is carried out without introducing the patient into anesthesia and without incision - through the puncture of the artery. The operation is performed with minimal blood loss, and the absence of the need for anesthesia expands the circle of patients who are indicated for this treatment of diabetic foot.

What is the procedure for diabetic foot surgery?

During the operation, it is possible to restore the patency of the arteries in the region of the lower leg, iliac and femoral bones. This method of treating diabetic foot has been actively developed for several years all over the world, because with such treatment it is possible to avoid amputation of the limb. The operation consists in the introduction of special catheters into the artery through previously made punctures. With the help of catheters, surgeons expand closed vessels and restore their patency.

At the end of the operation, metal frames are inserted that prevent the vessels from closing. During the manipulation, specialized instruments are used that effectively expand the vessels without traumatizing them, as well as stents. They are drug-coated for good results. So far, several hundred such operations have been performed. After surgical treatment of the diabetic foot, the pain in the foot begins to disappear on the same day, after which the medical supportive treatment of the diabetic foot is of great importance.