“Is foot amputation the only solution for gangrene?”
My mother has been detected with gangrene in her feet. The doctor say her foot will have to be amputated. Is that the only solution?
20 Answers
Unfortunately, yes.
I would see a vascular doctor. Based on what level of circulation she has can determine amputation level.
It depends on the type of gangrene, severity and location. Some gangrene can be cured with an angioplasty in the leg to open up blood flow, but in most cases amputation is needed.
The first thing to note is your mom’s circulation. Please have her tested before the amputation.
Not necessarily. If the infection is localized to a certain area the gangrene portion can be cut away and she can be treated with antibiotics and wound care. This process can save the foot but has its own risks and time commitments. With my patients, I decide what level is appropriate to amputate based on their age, health and quality of life moving forward.
I am afraid YES! We are saving lives now!
No, it depends upon the type of gangrene. Wet gangrene can be life-threatening and needs to be addressed quickly to prevent infection getting into the blood and spreading to the heart and being fatal. Dry gangrene is a different story. This can be monitored and specialized won’t care can be performed such as hyperbaric oxygen treatment which saturate the blood with oxygen and helps to kill anaerobic bacteria and can stimulate new blood vessel formation on healing. However, Gangrene is a serious Medical problem and needs to be monitored on a case by case basis.
Hello,
With gangrene of the foot, it usually means the infection has spread into the tissues and bone. If it’s "wet gangrene," meaning the skin is soft and draining, then it will have to be amputated.
“Dry gangrene” on the other hand, where the skin is dry and calloused over, will basically auto amputate, meaning that the body will cut off circulation to that section and it will eventually die and fall off.
Dr. Patel
With gangrene of the foot, it usually means the infection has spread into the tissues and bone. If it’s "wet gangrene," meaning the skin is soft and draining, then it will have to be amputated.
“Dry gangrene” on the other hand, where the skin is dry and calloused over, will basically auto amputate, meaning that the body will cut off circulation to that section and it will eventually die and fall off.
Dr. Patel
Sadly, yes.
Most likely that is the case. Once gangrene is present, the tissue is dead, and if amputation is not performed, there is a chance that infection may develop and cause death.
That is answered by a Vascular Surgeon! He will do a Vascular workup that will determine what is causing the problem!
If gangrene with bone infection, then amputation of the foot is one of the solution options.
Yes Gangrene can not be reversed.
It depends on how severe it is and if it has gotten to the bone or not; and how much time has gone by. If it hasn't gotten to the bone, the Doctor has to be very aggressive to try to save them.
Benjamin D. Overley
Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist)
Unfortunately yes.Gangrenous tissue is not just the skin but the underlying tendons and bone. The tissue; all of it is dead
Unfortunately yes, with gangrene the soft tissue is necrotic (dead); you can’t bring the tissue back. If you leave it in place it is a place for bacteria to attach and cause more infection. This infection can spread to the blood. In order to fix this you have to remove all the dead tissue including bone - amputation is the best option. They usually try to take off enough to get to viable tissue.
Generally, if there is gangrene amputation is the only solution. Prior to surgery. You would want to make sure that blood supply can be improved as best as possible.
Unless it is only a superficial gangrene, the portion of the foot that has lost its blood supply and has died most be removed to avoid infection spreading further. Moreover, steps must be taken to restore circulation to avoid limb loss
Usually yes. Depends how extensive, sometimes part of the foot can be salvaged.
Unfortunately gangrene represents death of tissue that will necessitate debridement to vital healthy tissue. When it involves the distal extremity such as the foot, the amount of tissue that often has to be removed may leave the individual with a nonfunctional extremity that will be better served with amputation and prosthesis. As terrible as this may sound return to a better life may occur faster with this approach versus heroic measures requiring multiple surgeries, associated risks and no guarantees regarding outcome.
