DF Chair: 345 feet amputated in Jeddah yearly

The feet of 345 people in Jeddah are amputated annually due to blood sugar complications, according to a surgery professor at King Abdulaziz University.

Dr. Hasan Al-Zahrani said around 4,000 such amputations occur around the Kingdom and this number is expected to increase.

He pointed out that 90 percent of these amputations could have been averted had patients visited doctors earlier. In addition, there are no specialized clinics in hospitals that can deal with such cases.

"Researchers have suggested calling such cases feet attacks, like heart attacks, to drive home the point that sufferers should receive immediate and urgent treatment," he said.

He pointed out that studies have shown that the medical costs for those who need feet amputating because of blood sugar complications exceeds that of most cancer treatments, necessitating the setting up of specialized clinics.

Al-Zahrani warned that amputating feet should be based on medical diagnoses and after ascertaining that blood was not being properly circulated to the foot.

He said deciding on the amputation of the whole foot or parts of it can only be decided by a vascular surgeon who will examine whether there is narrowing or complete blockage of some blood vessels in that part of the body.

He said: “Gangrene is a frightful thought to such patients. “Complications increase in line with the number of years patients have had this condition, especially if they had neglected treatment.”

He said the most important symptom of this condition is nerve damage that lessens the feeling of pain in the foot. Gangrene occurs when a part of the foot becomes dark colored.