Foot and Limb Salvage

What is foot and limb salvage?

Foot and limb salvage refers to numerous treatments to prevent amputation. The experienced podiatrists at Forward Foot & Ankle Associates are experts in preserving limbs that others may suggest are beyond treatment.

What conditions may need foot and limb salvage?

Lower leg and foot ulcers (open wounds) sometimes don’t heal because they lack a good blood supply. The ulcers keep enlarging, leading to skin and bone infections and gangrene (tissue death). At that point, you may need foot and limb salvage before an amputation is your only option.

Conditions that cause dangerous, nonhealing ulcers include:

Diabetes

High blood sugar damages blood vessels throughout your body, but typically affects your feet first. The damaged vessels restrict blood flow, depriving tissues of oxygen.

Without enough oxygen, small cuts, abrasions, and wounds on your foot can’t heal. These wounds turn into a diabetic foot ulcer.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

PAD develops when cholesterol builds up in a leg artery. Without treatment, the plaque enlarges and limits blood flow. When circulation is substantially blocked, tissues die and an arterial ulcer develops.

Venous insufficiency

Venous insufficiency occurs when faulty valves let blood flow in the wrong direction and build up in the vein. This increases blood pressure in your lower leg. As the pressure forces fluids out of the veins, the fluids erode tissues, causing a venous stasis ulcer.

What should I expect during foot and limb salvage?

Foot and limb salvage requires a multifaceted and aggressive approach. Saving your limb from amputation means treating multiple problems and using various procedures, including:

• Limb salvage surgery
• Foot reconstruction
• Correction of foot deformities
• Lower extremity bypass surgery
• Revascularization procedures (to eliminate plaque and remove diseased veins)
• Wound debridement (removing infected, dead, and damaged tissues)
• Ongoing wound care
• Infection control
• Nutrition to support healing

Reconstructive surgery involves many possible procedures for restoring function after deep and large ulcers have destroyed an extensive amount of tissue. A few examples include bone grafting and fusion, skin repair, and tendon reconstruction.

The team at Forward Foot & Ankle Associates also specializes in procedures for correcting structural conditions. For example, they may use an advanced external fixator to gradually correct complex deformities. 

Call Forward Foot & Ankle Associates or request an appointment online today if you need wound care for lower leg and foot ulcers, treatment for foot deformities, or comprehensive care to prevent amputation.