Introduction:
Diabetic foot ulcers pose a significant challenge in the medical field, demanding a multidisciplinary approach for effective management.
Dr. Amit Sahu, a distinguished Interventional Radiologist in Mumbai, is at the forefront of pioneering interventions like peripheral angioplasty and stenting to address the complexities associated with diabetic foot ulcers & associated vascular problems.
Vascular involvement in diabetic foot patients is frequent resulting in poor blood circulation to the foot. Diabetes is one of the risk factors for these blockages, medically known as Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) or Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).
Peripheral Angioplasty for Diabetic Foot Ulcers:
Peripheral angioplasty procedures emerge as a key intervention in managing diabetic foot ulcers when compromised blood flow contributes to delayed wound healing.
These interventional procedures help improve blood circulation to the foot and to the area of the wound to promote wound healing. When these procedures are timely performed, these may help to prevent an amputation.
What are Interventional Procedures for Diabetic Foot Patients?
Depending on the clinical condition, vasculature involved and other medical, imaging factors various Interventional Treatment options maybe available for addressing the vascular issues in diabetic foot.
These include procedures like:
- Balloon Angioplasty
- Peripheral Stenting
- Drug Eluting Balloon and Drug Eluting Stenting
- Atherectomy
- Intravascular Lithotripsy
Dr. Amit Sahu employs his expertise in Interventional Radiology to navigate through intricate vascular structures, ensuring precise and effective minimally invasive interventional procedures to enable improved blood circulation to the foot.
Most of the interventional procedures are performed with patients being awake under local anaesthsia and require short hospital stay of two to three days.
Angioplasty for Diabetic Foot Ulcers
The role of angioplasty lies in restoring blood flow to the affected limb, promoting optimal tissue oxygenation, and accelerating the healing process.
Dr. Amit Sahu utilizes effective imaging technologies to identify arterial blockages, subsequently employing balloon angioplasty procedures to widen narrowed vessels and enhance blood circulation to the affected foot.
These peripheral balloons when inflated open the blocked blood vessel improving the blood flowing through arteries.
Stenting in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Management:
In cases where arterial blockages are more severe or recurrent, Dr. Amit Sahu may recommend the use of stents. Stenting involves the placement of a small, mesh-like tube within the artery to provide structural support and maintain vessel patency.
This advanced technique ensures a sustained improvement in blood flow, crucial for preventing ulcer recurrence and facilitating overall wound healing.
Drug Eluting Balloon, Stenting:
It involves using specialized balloons and stents which are coated with various drugs and is delivered at the site of treatment. These help improve results by allowing the arteries to open for prolonged time and reducing chances of re-occlusion.
Such drug-eluting devices have gained wide acceptance and have shown proven benefits in cardiac (coronary) circulation and with similar principles have been made available for peripheral circulation.
What is IntraVascular Lithotripsy (IVL)?
It is one of the latest options of intervention in PVD. It is useful in situations where there are heavily calcified blockages making balloon angioplasty, stenting unsuitable. It uses shockwaves that are delivered to the hard calcified plaques and creates small fractures in them.
This allows better opening of the artery and also makes them suitable for further balloon angioplasty and stenting.
Surgery for Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Surgery is an important option for cases of diabetic foot ulcers in controlling infection, removing dead tissues and doing corrective joint positioning.
Interventional procedures as performed by Dr. Amit Sahu are complementary to surgery. It helps provide improved blood flow to the foot and improves upon the results of surgery performed.
Collaborative and Comprehensive Care:
Dr. Amit Sahu collaborates closely with a team of specialists, including diabetologists, podiatrists, and foot surgeons, to ensure a holistic and comprehensive approach to diabetic foot ulcer management.
This collaborative effort enhances patient outcomes, addressing not only the vascular component but also the underlying diabetic condition and associated factors contributing to foot ulcers.
Conclusion:
Dr. Amit Sahu, renowned as an Interventional Radiologist in Mumbai, has an effective approach to managing diabetic foot ulcers.
Through his dedication to pioneering techniques like peripheral angioplasty and stenting, he underlines a commitment to providing patients with advanced, minimally invasive solutions, ultimately enhancing outcomes in cases of diabetic foot ulcers.
The main intention of providing such a collaborative treatment is as Dr. Sahu highlights ‘The need to avoid amputation through early diagnoses, treatments & interventions wherever needed’