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Phone: 630-834-3668
Prairie Path Foot & Ankle Clinic

How can I avoid an amputation from diabetes?


Diabetes in and of itself does not mean that amputation is eminent.  Of course we hear many horror stories about people losing parts of their feet, or parts of their leg 'due to diabetes'.  There is a problem with this verbiage and therefore, the trend (rightly so) is moving towards describing someone as having lost their limb "due to complications of diabetes'.  The primary complications of diabetes that leads to amputation are as follows: peripheral neuropathy-open sore-deep infection.  Through simple daily measures, you can avoid facing amputation by having small problems or concerns addressed quickly.  The sad story of a person with diabetes facing amputation is that they had a blister or callus, then maybe some redness and eventually finally sought treatment after this blister or callus had opened into a wound.  The longer a wound is not treated, the more infected it can become and when infection reaches deep enough to infect bone there are only two treatments available, long term antibiotics and amputation.  In instances of severe infection, long term antibiotics are not sufficient in protecting the rest of your body from infection (sepsis) and at that time, amputation is the recommended treatment to save your life.

Read here to start your daily regimen to keep your feet healthy and prevent this complication.