Causes of Gangrene in the Foot and Treatment without Amputation of Feet
Gangrene in the foot and treatment of gangrene without amputation:
Diabetic foot gangrene is a complication of diabetic foot as a result of the effect of diabetes on the surrounding nerves where high blood glucose level causes damage to the surrounding nerves and the loss of foot sensation which makes them susceptible to wounds and ulcers that are difficult to be healed, Gangrene is the death of body tissue as a result of a lack of blood flow or a result of a bacterial infection. Limbs are often infected as fingers and feet, and muscles and internal organs can be infected.
Gangrene Causes and Treatment:
Blood transports oxygen to the body tissues in addition to feeding the immune system, transferring antibodies to resist infection, and cells begin to die as a result of the loss of the body tissues to food and oxygen, resulting in them being vulnerable to bacterial infection due to lack of resistance from the body.
There are a lot of factors that lead to Diabetic Foot Gangrene:
- Diabetes.
- Developing diseases affecting blood vessels.
- Developing diseases affecting the immune system.
- Chemotherapy for cancer patients.
- Smoking.
- Severe Obesity.
Types of Diabetic Foot Gangrene:
There are several forms of diabetic foot gangrene:
- Drying gangrene.
- Wet gangrene.
- Gas Gangrene.
Symptoms of Diabetic Foot Gangrene:
- Change skin colour to black or blue.
- Foul-Smelling discharge from the site of the ulcer.
- Loss of foot sensation.
- Feeling of Cold Feet.
- The feeling of numbness after sudden pain.
If one or all of these symptoms occur, the patient must go to the doctor immediately to perform the necessary examinations and tests. The doctor diagnoses the condition by:
- Checking the blood glucose level.
- Studying the health condition and the history of disease well to know the cause of the infection and determine the method of treatment.
- Ultrasound imaging of arteries to check the presence of any blockages in the arteries.
- Doppler imaging of peripheral arteries.
Some preventive measures that can help you to reduce your chances of having Diabetic Foot Gangrene such as:
- Keen to maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking.
- Lowering the blood glucose level.
- Regular physical activity to improve blood circulation.
- Avoid foods rich in saturated fat.
- Maintain body temperature and do not be exposed to low temperatures.
- Take care of the wounds and avoid any infection or inflammation.
Treatment of Diabetic Foot Gangrene:
Diabetic foot gangrene is treated after diagnosis by the vascular surgeon and determining the degree of infection. Gangrene is treated without amputation through:
- Performing surgery to remove dead tissue to prevent the spread of gangrene in the body.
- Skin restoration and tissue reconstruction through the use of healthy skin from another part of the patient's body.
- Use antibiotics to fight infection, in the form of intravenous injections.
- Oxygen therapy is a modern technique used in case of invasive gangrene by inserting the patient in closed rooms with high pressure, providing oxygen cover for the face to supply the patient with oxygen to help him breathe, and raising the level of oxygen in the blood and increasing the flow of blood to the affected area which increases the speed of recovery.
-Peripheral catheterization: to treat the blockage of the peripheral arteries and prevent the gangrene from spreading to other areas.
- In advanced cases, the vascular surgeon goes for amputation of the infected limbs.
To treat diabetic foot gangrene and avoid amputation or complications, it is necessary to visit Dr. Waleed El-Daly as Professor of Vascular Surgery and Diabetic Foot Treatment at Cairo University. If the problem begins, the necessary diagnosis will be performed and treatment will begin. He uses the latest medical standards to treat diabetic foot and diabetic foot gangrene and takes all means to save the foot from amputation, and recover faster without having to undergo surgeries.
