Amputation for diabetic foot problems
Blood vessel and nerve damage associated with diabetes can lead to serious infections that are extremely difficult to treat. Often the first place you have a problem is your feet. When you lose the ability to feel your toes and feet, you are more likely to injure them without knowing it. Even a minor injury, such as a small cut, can develop into an ulcer and a serious infection.
Infections of the feet can spread up into the leg. Sometimes the infection is so severe that the foot and possibly part of the leg must be amputated. In the United States, more than 60% of all lower-leg amputations that are not related to an accident are done because of diabetes.1
Amputations are done when efforts to save the foot or leg are unsuccessful or the infection is causing extensive tissue damage. In all cases, doctors save as much of a person's foot or leg as possible. However, they try to make sure that the remaining part of the limb will heal so that further surgery is not necessary.
A serious infection can be life-threatening. In these cases, an amputation may save your life.
If you are faced with needing an amputation, talk with your doctor about how it can benefit you. Often amputation relieves the severe pain associated with an infection, as well as getting rid of the infection and the need to take strong antibiotics. In addition, modern prosthetic devices are lightweight, making walking as easy as possible after an amputation.
Having a foot or leg amputated is traumatic and means a major body-image change. Allow yourself time to grieve and deal with what losing a part of your body means to you. If you need help, talk with a health professional about emotional counseling. You may also find it helpful to talk with a person who has had an amputation.
Citations
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise