With our Mauritian population ever-increasing rate of diabetes and pre-diabetes, the location of arterial disease has shifted from above-the-knee to below-the-knee disease.  These represent complex pathologies and if associated wounds are present, they often do not heal or get infected resulting in major limb amputation.  Advances in technology in vascular surgery has enabled us to treat this endovascularly rather than with open surgery, resulting in less morbidity and mortality.

Recently, a diabetic patient, who was deemed to need a major amputation by other healthcare services, attended C-Care facility with a septic ischaemic leg complicated with a non-healing wound at his heel and other burns wounds to his leg.  He received endovascular below-the-knee intervention to save him from undergoing an amputation.

 

‘It is critical to ensure appropriate blood flow to diabetic foot wounds to help ensure optimal healing.  Without good blood flow, there is no healing of wounds, no matter how good the dressing or wound care is!’ says Dr Kunal Sibartie, Vascular surgeon, who under-took this limb saving procedure.

‘Today, standard optimal care around the world, dictates that any patient having wounds on their legs or facing an amputation should be reviewed by a Vascular surgeon to ensure proper blood flow to the wounds and prevent amputations.  I hope that patients and their treating doctors become more and more aware of this, rather than blindly persisting with wound care and delaying crucial limb saving procedures until it is too late.’