Lower-limb amputations in patients with diabetes mellitus

It is estimated that approximately 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes mellitus. With adequate control of this disease and appropriate foot care and basic surveillance, many patients can lead active and healthy lifestyles. However, some patients experience complications associated with poorly controlled glucose levels, including lower-extremity ulcerations and infections. When conservative measures have failed in treating these conditions, a lower-extremity amputation is an option for patients seeking to gain maximal functional recovery. A complete preoperative workup includes assessment of healing potential and preoperative ambulatory status, control or optimization of comorbidities when possible, and determination of amputation level using modern diagnostic modalities. Once the decision to proceed with an amputation has been made, it is important to choose an appropriate level of amputation and practice sound surgical technique. This article describes the preoperative evaluation and operative techniques involved in performing amputations on diabetic patients and reviews the current literature on the most common lower-extremity amputations performed in the care of infections in the feet of patients with diabetes mellitus.