Diabetes is a disease that can not be underestimated without treatment . Although it can not cured , but diabetes can be controlled . If diabetes is left too long , it will become increasingly severe complications and other emerging diseases .
One instance of potentially fatal diabetes is peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) or peripheral blood vessel disease . The disease begins with a blockage in the blood vessels , usually in the legs . Patients with diabetes whose feet had PAD is often referred to as diabetic foot .
" Clogged blood vessels , decreased blood flow , oxygen levels in the blood was reduced . Happens organ ( foot ) did not function properly . Initially may feel numbness or numbness . Then injured , the wound does not heal . Fact, the wound can be more severe , widespread , and rotten . Due blood flow is not smooth , so there is no healing process , "said Dr. Em Yunir , SpPD - KEMD , Head of the Division of Metabolic Endocrinology, Department of IPD Faculty of medicine / RSCM in the seminar ' Diabetic Foot , Should Always Amputees ? ' in the Esquire Hotel Mandarin Oriental , Jalan MH Thamrin , Jakarta , and was written on Thursday ( 10/31/2013 ) .
According to Dr. Em Yunir , there are several risk factors that can be aware of PAD in diabetic patients . First , men are more at risk of developing PAD than women . Second , the risk of PAD increased 2 times every 10 years of age . Third , hypertension and cholesterol also increased 2 times greater risk for the occurrence of PAD .
When asked why , Dr. Em Yunir replied , " Because not only blood sugar is not good , but after years of increasingly complex illness left . Happened capillary disorders , decreased immune system , malnutrition , and others. "
While there are several options for the team when the doctor handles diabetic patients with PAD . What is clear , according to Dr. Em Yunir , the goal is to clean the infection and tissue injury due to PAD . The choice by opening blocked blood vessels flow , can be a way bypass or catheterization ( ballooning ) .
Moreover, it can also cut off the infected part with , and then embed stemcell to stimulate the growth of new tissue . The final option is amputation . Amputations performed if infection was too severe to the entire foot , and efforts to bypass and catheterization can not help .
" The point is to remove the dead tissue as much as possible , as soon as possible . Because the damaged tissue that many bacteria . Besides making can not grow new tissue , the infection will spread . Velocity spread of infection diabetic people much faster than healthy people . Due to disrupted blood vessels , immune low , and hard to heal wounds , "said Dr. Em Yunir .