Treatment of Diabetic Foot Gangrene Using the STAGE Principle: A Case Series

Diabetic foot gangrene with lower extremity ischemia can preclude amputation. However, wound treatment principles based on the Wagner classification system are lacking. We proposed the STAGE principle for the surgical management of diabetic foot wounds. The STAGE principle guides surgical intervention during the wound treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and emphasizes that "based on anatomical layers, the management focuses on blood supply and includes layer-by-layer incision to the infected area, maintenance of effective wound drainage, and step-by-step treatment of the wound." We applied the STAGE principle for the treatment of 7 patients with an ankle brachial index <0.5 and Wagner grade 4 diabetic foot gangrene. The average ankle brachial index was 0.42 (0.32-0.48; SD = 0.06), and male patients smoked an average of 1.28 packs/day (0.4-2; SD = 0.63). The average wound duration was 45.86 days (14-63 days; SD = 18.46). The average wound healing time was 8.86 months (5-13 months; SD = 2.36). The follow-up time was 37.71 months (3-84 months; SD = 25.04; median = 36 months). Patient 1 received endovascular interventional therapy twice for the lower extremity artery, and the wound healed. After 3 months of follow-up, the patient exhibited recurrence. After the third application of endovascular interventional therapy for the lower extremity artery, the blood supply was improved, and the wound healed after 1 month. In summary, the treatment of 7 cases of diabetic foot gangrene with severe lower extremity ischemia using the STAGE principle resulted in remarkable efficacy.