Determine a surgical procedure for diabetic foot with chronic refractory wound / 中华显微外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluated the options in selection of surgical procedures for treatment of the patients suffering from diabetic feet with chronic refractory wounds.Methods:From January 2020 to June 2021, 23 patients with diabetic feet complicated with refractory wounds were treated in Department of Hand Surgery, Shunde Heping Surgical Hospital. The patients were 15 males and 8 females, aged 51-86 years old and with an average age of 65 years old. All the patients had Type-II diabetes for over 5 - 22 years. Average blood glucose of the patients was found at 15.6 mmol/L on admission. Free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps (ALTPF) were used for reconstruction of the wound of diabetic feet in 19 patients, 2 patients received vascular bypass surgery and 2 had amputations. Regular outpatient follow-up were conduct on all patients after surgery.Results:Follow-up time lasted for 8 to 30 months, 12 months in average. At the last follow-up, the donor and recipient sites healed well in the 19 patients who received flap reconstruction, without an infection, necrosis and wound recurrence. Pains were significantly relieved after the surgery in the 2 patients who received vascular bypass surgery, and wounds all healed well after symptomatic treatment and dressing change without recurrence of wounds at the last follow-up. Average Maryland score of foot function was 84 for the patients who had limb salvage, and 2 patients were in excellent and 19 in good at the last follow-up. The 2 patients who had amputation successfully survived through the perioperative period, and the wounds healed well at the last follow-up.Conclusion:The treatment is complicated in the patient suffering from diabetic foot with chronic refractory wounds due to factors such as advanced age, co-existing and complicated underlying diseases together with the complex wounds. Most patients can achieve good prognosis in wound treatment of free flap transfer or vascular bypass surgery. However, a limb salvage is recommended with caution for the patients who have severe infections and dry gangrene.