Fifty thousand diabetics in our country have foot ulcers that can lead to amputation

Ulcers on the lower extremities appear 50,000 patients with diabetes in our country and if these are not dealt with in time they may be faced with the risk of amputation. Globally, every 20 seconds a lower limb amputation takes place among diabetics, while in our country, in the past, 3000 diabetic foot amputations were performed annually. What is recommended for people with diabetes is to be aware of any sores or fissures on their feet or if a toe has changed color and to contact the doctor immediately.

The above was pointed out by Christos Manes, a pathologist specializing in diabetes mellitus and president of the Association for the Study of Diabetic Foot Diseases (EMEDIP), speaking to the Athens Agency, on the occasion of the 7th Panhellenic Symposium of the EMEDIP which is being held February 2-5 in Thessaloniki.

“In Greece we have approximately 1,200,000 diabetics. When a wound appears on the feet of diabetics or the color of the foot or a toe begins to change, then we speak of the diabetic foot. Today we have counted 50,000 people with diabetes who have lower extremity wounds. This means that these people, if they do not receive timely and valid treatment, will be faced with the risk of amputation of the fingers or part of the lower limb. What we need to see is how we can prevent this scourge of mutilation. According to data we have, in the past there were 3000 amputations per year in Greece, i.e. 3000 diabetics lost their legs. With the operation of Diabetic Foot Clinics in public hospitals, this number began to decrease. When EMEDIP was founded, in 2006, we had only two Diabetic Foot Clinics in all of Greece and these subsequently became 16 and were created by colleagues who had special training in the diabetic foot” Mr. Manes pointed out.

At the same time, he underlined thatIn Greece there are approximately 300,000 diabetics who have a complication of diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, i.e. they have lost the protective sensation of pain. These patients, as noted by Mr. Manes, may, for example, step on a pin or a nail, not realize it because it did not hurt, create a wound that becomes a portal of entry for microbes and get infections. These patients must be careful not to injure their legs to avoid a poor outcome.

“However, what we want from diabetic people, above all, is to pay attention to their feet and if they see that their foot has a small wound, a crack, that it has changed color somewhere or that they do not feel it, it is good to contact their doctor immediately . The wound is the entry point for germs that cause infections. The deeper they are, the more serious they become, they affect bones, they affect tendons, and if all these are not treated in time, they can lead to amputation” pointed out Mr. Manes.

Regarding the treatment of the diabetic ulcer, Mr. Manes said that there are substances that help healing, such as heparan sulfate, which must be applied by a doctor on a clean ulcer.

“It is a spray that somehow creates a network on which the body applies the new elements and creates skin, epidermis, etc. and closes the wound. Also, the special shoes for diabetics help a lot, from which the front part is removed and we can make a hole where there is a wound, which should not be pressed. Where there is a wound and it is pressed it cannot close. In other words, it creates a callus which prevents its healing” pointed out Mr. Manes.

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