About Us

SL Raheja Hospital is located in the suburb of Mahim in Mumbai It is associated with Fortis Hospitals and has established a high standard of healthcare services and medical facilities since its inception. We are one of the best multispecialty hospitals in Mumbai

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Contact Info

S.L. Raheja Hospital (A Fortis Associate) Raheja Rugnalaya Marg, Mahim (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra - 400016, India.

Emergency No- 022-66529888

info@rahejahospital.com

Diabetic Foot Care Hospital In Mumbai

A complication arising due to prolonged periods of high blood sugar, diabetic foot is a condition characterized by foot problems or injuries which occur due to nerve damage in the extremities and can cause ulcer and infection. The feet do not get an adequate supply of blood or oxygen due to the damage to the blood vessels. Foot infections are one of the most common health complications resulting due to diabetes.

What is a diabetic foot?

Diabetic patients have a high predilection for delayed wound healing and the presence of cuts or blisters on the feet that do not heal can lead to the development of some serious diabetic ulcers. More than half of the people with diabetes may have reduced nerve sensation and nerve damage that is commonly known as diabetic neuropathy. While nerve damage can exist in any part of the body, usually the nerves in the extremities are the ones that are affected and the lower limbs more than the upper. This nerve damage can cause loss of sensation in the affected area. The neuropathy may result in either loss of sensation and inability to experience temperature or vibration. Individuals with neuropathy may also experience tingling, numbness or burning sensation in the feet.

The diagnosis and management of diabetic foot is a multi-speciality effort and requires a medical team of diabetologists and diabetic foot surgeons, and this service is being offered at S.L Raheja over the last several decades. Diabetes foot disease can impair mobility and reduce the quality of life and increase the chances of infections and serious complications. People with diabetes may have a reduced blood supply to the feet which again is called diabetic peripheral vascular disease and that predisposes the individual to worsened infections in case of cuts or wounds.

A severe complication of diabetic foot results in amputation of the affected part of the limb due to gangrene to prevent further spread of the infection.

S.L. Raheja Hospital - A Fortis Associate is the leading and best hospital in the country for diabetic foot management. The hospital has some of the most renowned diabetic foot surgeons in Asia with extensive experience of more than 40 years.

Procedures

There are two main conditions that afflict the foot in persons who have diabetes.

  • Diabetic Neuropathy

People who are suffering from diabetes for prolonged periods of time blisters, cuts and sores without the person becoming aware of it.

  • Peripheral Vascular Disease

Fatty deposits can block the blood vessels in legs which tends to reduce the blood flow, resulting in slow-                   healing wounds, pain and infection. In severe cases, it may even result in an amputation.

Why Does Diabetic foot occur?

The main cause of diabetic foot is the high blood sugar levels in the body, which damages the nerves. This nerve damage results in a loss of sensation in the feet. This, in turn, has a cascading effect where the person is unable to feel any wound or irritation in the feet, which can result in untreated infections. These, if allowed to fester, can lead to more serious complications such as gangrene, and can require amputation.

Another effect of the nerve damage is that the feet’s ability to sweat is impaired. The resultant dry feet causes cracks, which allows germs to enter the body. Diabetes can also cause the blood vessels to shrink and harden, which makes it harder to fight infection.

Type of patients that are at risk of developing diabetic feet

The diabetic foot specialists at S.L. Raheja Hospital state that there is a 15% chance that a diabetic patient will develop diabetic foot complications at some point or the other in life. These problems can occur due to:

• Neuropathy or nerve damage or poor blood circulation in the feet

• Frequent episodes of hyperglycaemia or constant high blood sugar levels

• Hypertension or high cholesterol levels

• Obesity or suffering from diabetes for a long time

Causes and symptoms of diabetic foot

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that occurs due to prolonged periods of high blood sugar levels. The most commonly affected part of the body is the legs and feet though it can occur in any other region of the body as well. The loss of sensation or numbness in the feet can result in missing a blister or a cut. These wounds that go untreated become infected and can spread rapidly.

Diabetics also suffer from reduced blood flow to the limbs that causes narrowing of arteries that can result in delayed healing of infection or worsening of a diabetic foot ulcer.

The specialists at S.L. Raheja Hospital advise the top five symptoms of diabetic foot:

• Discolouration of the skin

• Swelling or redness

• Discharge of pus or other fluids

• Foul odour from the wound

• Changes in the toenails

The dos and don’ts of diabetic foot

Do:

• Daily inspection of diabetic feet due to loss of sensation to check for swelling, redness, blisters or open sores.

• Wear diabetes appropriate footwear at all times, even at home.

• Cleaning the feet regularly, especially between the toes and drying them.

• Regular moisturising of the feet to prevent dry skin or cracking.

• Keeping toenails short to avoid any injury.

• Avoiding extreme temperatures

• Regular check-ups with a diabetic foot specialist

Don’t:

• Never walk barefoot indoors or outdoors.

• Never wear tight socks or stockings as they can reduce the blood flow to the feet.

• Do not try to pull out corns on the feet with sharp instruments or chemicals.

• Never use any hot objects to warm the feet

How to prevent diabetic neuropathy?

The diabetologists and diabetic foot specialists at S.L. Raheja Hospital recommend certain measures that can help prevent diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage.

Healthy blood sugar levels

Constant high blood sugar levels damage nerves and blood vessels over time resulting in neuropathy. It is important to follow a proper diet, medication and insulin if necessary to control blood glucose levels.

Regular exercise

Being moderately active every day can reverse symptoms and delay problems. It is recommended that diabetics shouldn’t skip exercise for more than two days consecutively.

Stop smoking

Smoking causes lower levels of oxygen in the blood that can result in blood vessels and nerves being deprived of oxygen. It also damages the cells and causes inflammation that results in high blood sugar levels.

Depending on the severity of the condition, there are a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatment options available. Non-surgical treatment options include basic steps such as cleaning and dressing the wounds, and close, frequent observation of the foot for signs of gangrene.

If the severity of the diabetic foot is beyond the cure of non-surgical methods, surgical procedures are resorted to. This includes removal of the dead or decaying tissue, amputation, arterial bypass for peripheral vascular disease or an endovascular surgery with stents.

Diabetic foot treatment at S.L. Raheja Hospital

S.L. Raheja Hospital is the premier institute in the city to have state-of-the-art technology and an experienced team to manage the complications of diabetic foot. Our hospital also has a hyperbaric medicine centre dedicated to the revolutionary Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for the treatment and management of diabetic foot

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

This is a non-invasive medical treatment to enhance the body’s natural healing process by inhalation of 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. This increase in pressure allows the oxygen to dissolve into the blood plasma resulting in increased amounts of oxygen delivery to tissues.

This medical treatment is extremely beneficial to diabetics in terms of stimulating the growth of new blood vessels, increasing blood flow, reducing oedema or swelling, increasing the ability of the body’s natural immune defences to fight infections and detoxification of the biosystem.

Diabetic foot infections are a major cause of amputations and a person with diabetes must be aware of any diabetic wound or ulceration and should consult the specialists at S.L. Raheja Hospital at the earliest to prevent the spread of infection and the possibility of a loss of a limb.

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our Doctors

We Have A Team Of Expert Doctors for Diabetic Foot

Dr. Arun Bal

 Director Diabetic Foot Surgery

Dr. Rajeev Singh

 Diabetic Foot Surgeon

Dr. Rajeev Wadhwa

 Diabetic Foot Surgeon

Dr. Sanjay M. Vaidya

 Consultant Diabetic Foot Surgery

We provide the highest level of care to every patient, so that, they remember us for the services that were more than what they had expected.

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FAQ

Diabetic foot is a complication caused due to extended periods of high levels of blood sugar. This condition result of injuries and infections in the feet of diabetic patients that usually occur due to nerve damage in the extremities, also known as diabetic neuropathy. S.L. Raheja Hospital is the leading diabetic hospital in the city that caters to all sorts of diabetic complications. Our team of surgeons have decades of experience in handling complex diabetic foot cases.

The diabetic foot surgeons and diabetologists at S.L. Raheja Hospital work in unison with other medical specialties to ensure timely and appropriate treatment for our patients. Our surgeons have over four decades of experience in diabetic foot surgery and also successfully manage rehabilitative foot surgeries.

Various surgical and non-surgical treatment options are available depending on the severity of the condition. Non-surgical options include cleaning and dressing diabetic foot wounds with advanced wound care modalities and constant monitoring until healing. Surgical treatment is required in certain severe cases as per the discretion of the consulting surgeon.

The most crucial cause of diabetic foot is due to high blood sugar levels over an extended period. Excess of sugar in the blood leads to nerve damage, which is also called diabetic neuropathy, where patients experience loss of sensation in their extremities. This condition can knowingly or unknowingly lead to foot ulcers and consequent infections that can be very severe.

Some of the early signs of diabetic foot include changes in the colour of the skin and temperature of the foot. There may be visible signs of swelling in the foot or ankle. Another common occurrence is the presence of ingrown toenails or fungus-infected toenails. Diabetic feet commonly have multiple corns and cracked skin especially around the heel area that can serve as an entry point for bacteria.

Our specialists at S.L. Raheja Hospital recommend that people with diabetes should ideally get a complete diabetic foot examination done annually. Symptoms such as tingling or numbness in the feet, pain, swelling or burning sensation will require periodic examinations. It is always advisable to get in touch with your doctor if there are any signs of delayed healing in a blister or cut on the foot, or discolouration.

The diabetologists at S.L. Raheja Hospital recommend regular foot inspections to address any kind of injury before it progresses into an open sore. Maintaining optimum blood sugar levels and healthy body weight can also go a long way in remaining healthy and preventing diabetic foot.

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