People diagnosed with diabetes can also experience co-existing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower-limb amputation. Non-traumatic lower-limb amputations performed on adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes accounts the majority of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations. Diabetes-related amputations are related to chronic wounds caused by diabetes, especially diabetic foot ulcers. People with a non-traumatic lower-limb amputation have a 50 percent mortality rate within five years.

People with diabetes should pay special attention to their feet due to nerve damage and sensory loss. It is also important for them to wear proper footwear, inspect their feet daily and take extra care when trimming nails and treating cuts, scrapes and blisters. If a wound does not heal or shows sign of infection, seek medical treatment. These precautions can help prevent diabetes-related amputations even more in the future.

 If you have a diabetic foot ulcer that is not healing, contact the Would Healing Center at Union Hospital at 812.238.4499.