Nerve disease
caused by type-2 Diabetes accounts for half of all amputations in the U.S., but
a new treatment is helping patients keep their limbs. And it comes from a pregnant woman!
The amniotic
fluid membrane comes from donors from an FDA approved laboratory.
People with
diabetes are more likely to have a foot, toe, or leg amputated than other
people. It happens because diabetics
have blood vessel disease, which reduces blood flow to the feet, and nerve
disease, that reduces sensation in the feet.
These two conditions together cause sores and infections that may lead
to amputation. Despite changes in care
over the years, foot, toe, and leg amputations are still common. Research has been able to show links between
risk factors like high blood pressure and high blood glucose and a person’s
chance of having a lower-extremity amputation. However, more research needs to be done in
order to evaluate which patients with diabetes are most at risk.
We now have
amniotic membrane and fluid that is cryopreserved. So it can be used on anybody
at anytime and anywhere. We don't have to have a live birth to collect it, and
it can be harvested in very clean, sterile conditions. We inject it in and
around the wound, and it enhances the healing.
A diabetic
ulcer happens when diabetics lose sensation in their feet. It’s called neuropathy, and it happens
gradually. Because of the loss of
sensation Diabetics may get a cut and don’t even know it. That cut could then become infected and the
wound can erode through the skin and down to the bone. Even a small diabetic ulcer can become life or
limb-threatening. The membrane has
mesenchymal stem cells, which have all of the nutritional materials the tissue
needs to heal. It stimulates the body
very aggressively to start to create healthy tissue.
If you are
Diabetic, or know someone who is make sure they have their feet checked at
least once per year by a podiatrist. Prevention is key.
Call the office
today for a comprehensive Diabetic foot exam or to learn more about Amniotic
membrane. 239-566-8800
