Podiatry is a specialised department of vascular surgery associated with the management of diabetic foot disease. There are millions of diabetic foot patients in our country . India is in the process of becoming the diabetic foot capital of the world as the incidence of patients with diabetes mellitus is rising very fast.Kerala our state is becoming the diabetic capital of India with the maximum number of patients diagnosed with diabetes melitus and its complications in our state.Diabetic foot is a combined micro and macrovascular disease that affects the foot of patients with diabetes mellitus over few years . The three major factors that are responsible for the development of diabetic foot in patients with diabetes melitus are diabetic vasculopathy that is affection of the blood vessels of the leg as well as the foot in patients with diabetes meletus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy which is due to the dysfunction of the sensory , motor and autonomic nerves in the foot and foot infections that develop in patients with diabetes mellitus due to the high blood sugar levels as well as the increased risk of injury to foot due to the peripheral neuropathy and the loss of sensation in the foot. Keeping this in mind at Sanjeevani hospital we have a specialised diabetic foot care centre which is dedicated for the management of foot problems associated with diabetes meletus as well as to prevent the development of diabetic foot disease and its complications.
Diabetic foot disease includes loss of sensation , loss of pain , inability to walk properly , callosities or cornes developing in the foot, cracks in the foot, development of infections and flat foot, development of Bony abnormalities referred to as charcots foot, development of deep ulcers in the foot , development of infection in the form of diabetic foot ulcer and development of gangrene or blackish discoloration of the toes or foot due to loss of blood circulation . The complete management of this foot problem has to be under the supervision of a dedicated vascular surgical and podiatric team so as to assess the vascular insufficiency in the foot, the neuropathic status of the foot and that high risk foot with the possibilities of developing diabetic foot ulcer . At Sanjeevani hospital we have a dedicated team working under a vascular surgeon with facilities for assessment of diabetic foot disease, early detection of the disease, prevention of diabetic foot complications by using medications, physiotherapy foot care and footwear as well as management of simple and complex diabetic foot conditions in the form of ulceration, infection , peripheral vascular disease, charcots foot ,gangrene etc. The moto of of our Vascular Podiatry team with respect to diabetic foot is prevention of amputations of any type, to maintain a healthy bi pedal gait.
MBBS,MS,MCh, PDCC
Vascular Surgery