What is it?… major complication of diabetes

‍The diabetic foot is an ulceration of the tissues of the foot (skin, nerve, artery, bone, muscle): it is one of the major and serious complications of diabetic patients, in particular, it affects 10% of diabetic patients (there are approximately 3 million diabetic patients in Morocco). This pathology is characterized by damage to the nerves which can cause a loss of sensitivity in the feet and abnormal sensations of heat. Neuropathy can cause bone deformities.‍

Diagnosis and treatment … saving the patient’s life

‍The best treatment is prevention: diabetes monitoring, regular sport, regular podiatric monitoring, smoking cessation, etc.

In case of advanced diabetic foot with gangrene and wound most often we find diseased and occluded arteries. The diagnosis is clinical, and radiological by Doppler echography of the arteries and then by CT angiography or arteriography.

The treatment is then most often a dilation of the arteries of the legs and thighs with or without a stent. Rarely treatment with surgery and bypass surgery is required.

It is a question of first saving the life of the patient, and then of keeping the maximum of his foot thanks to the dilation of the clogged arteries. We perform ultrasound, arteriography and dilation with stenting, as well as bypass surgery. I try to avoid surgery and amputation for my patient as much as possible. Of course, the patient must consult as soon as possible.