Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Wound Care · Life Eugene Marais Hospital, Pretoria

Diabetic foot ulcers are wounds of the feet, soles and lower legs in patients with diabetes. They arise from reduced sensation (neuropathy), reduced arterial supply (ischaemia), or a combination of the two (neuro-ischaemia).

Because sensation is reduced, injuries are often noticed late; and because the blood supply may be impaired, the wound heals slowly and the risk of infection is high. Early, expert wound care is the key to preventing complications — including amputation.

Diagnosis at our practice

A complete medical history and clinical examination is followed by a hand-held Doppler examination to determine whether the arterial supply to the limb is adequate. Where indicated, arterial and/or venous duplex-Doppler studies are performed to confirm the diagnosis. We also have specialised equipment for transcutaneous oxygen measurement (TcPO2), which establishes exactly how much oxygen is available at the wound for healing.

Treatment

• Basic wound care — every member of our staff is trained in basic wound care, and our team of nursing practitioners even does home visits.
• Advanced wound care — including negative-pressure wound therapy (VAC), supported by our team of wound care specialists.
• Arterial revascularisation — where the arterial supply is impaired and the wound does not respond as expected, Dr Weir will discuss the surgical and endovascular options with you.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy — internationally accepted for selected complex wounds; we have two hyperbaric units and can motivate the treatment to your medical scheme in selected cases.

Educational videos

2023 Diabetic Foot GuidelinesDiabetic Foot Ulcers and Their RecurrenceNPWT or HBOT for Diabetic Foot Ulcers