Foot Care:

Take Care of Your Feet -- and Save Your Foot from Amputation (especially for diabetics)

Preventive foot care is critical to maintaining health for people with diabetes -- especially with diabetes being such a major concern in the Valley, says Dr. Raul Maldonado, DPM, a Podiatrist in Harlingen.

Dr. Maldonado, who is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), said that foot complications are the primary reason for hospitalization of diabetic patients. Early detection of diabetic foot problems minimizes serious complications that can result in amputation.

“It is important to understand that the majority of severe problems can be avoided with proper preventive care,” said Dr. Maldonado. “Daily examinations by the patient, along with regular foot screenings by the patient’s doctor, are vital to reducing the risk of amputation.”

Research shows that diabetic-related amputations now total more than 67,000 annually and are rising. ACFAS estimates diabetic foot ulcers—wearing away of the skin—precede nearly 85 percent of all lower limb amputations. In many cases diabetic patients ignore or are unaware of the warning signals because their normal sensitivity to pain is absent.

“It is not uncommon for a patient, on their first visit to the doctor’s office, to present a foot problem that already has severely progressed to the point where saving the limb is questionable,” Dr. Maldonado said. “Amputation of one limb often leads to loss of another. And with immobility comes a downward shift in overall health.”

Dr. Maldonado says ACFAS has developed a list of recommendations for preventing diabetic foot problems:

• Check feet daily. Look for sores, bleeding or drainage that could signal a larger problem.
   
• Change shoes several times daily. Shoes precipitate 80 percent of foot problems. Changing shoes lowers the risk of subjecting feet to continual, damaging pressure.
   
• Do not walk barefooted. Minimize chances of infecting feet or exposing an open wound to germs.
   
• Do not neglect calluses—a significant risk factor for ulceration.
   
• Do not perform “bathroom surgery.” Self-treating even seemingly minor foot problems, such as blisters or ingrown toenails, can expose the foot to the risk of infection.

For a free consumer brochure on diabetes foot care, please call the ACFAS toll-free hotline at 1-888-THE FEET, or visit the ACFAS web site at www.acfas.org.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) was founded in 1942. Headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois, its membership includes 5,000 podiatric medical specialists. Its mission includes education, research, development of standards and promotion of proper foot and ankle care.

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