Amputation due to diabetes is the surgical removal of a body part, typically a limb, due to complications from the disease. This is a serious procedure, often done as a last resort to prevent the spread of infection, reduce pain, and improve mobility. People with diabetes are more likely to require amputations compared to those without the disease.

While many people living with diabetes are able to manage the condition throughout their life and not require an amputation, sometimes there can be complications that can result in amputation being the only option.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of lower limb amputation than those without the condition. This is because having diabetes can sometimes lead to the individual developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), which causes the blood vessels to narrow and therefore reduces the flow of blood to the legs and feet. This can make it slower for the body to heal wounds and be less able to fight off any infection that develops.

It's also possible that diabetes can lead to nerve damage, also known as peripheral neuropathy, which can prevent the individual from feeling pain and this means they may not realise there is a problem until it's too late to prevent amputation.

There are a number of different ways in which diabetic amputation might be due to medical negligence.

It might be that your diabetes is not diagnosed in a timely manner because of the negligence of medical professionals, which results in the condition not being under control, an infection setting in to one or more of the lower limbs and leading to an amputation being necessary. If you are mistakenly diagnosed and treated for the wrong condition, instead of for diabetes, this could also have the same outcome because of the delay in receiving the correct treatment.

It could be that your diabetes is not being effectively controlled by your treatment and a medical professional fails to notice this or implement any changes to your treatment plan, which later leads to an amputation being necessary.

It could also be the case that a medical professional fails to diagnose and treat you for infection, despite there being signs and symptoms present, that later leads to amputation.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of amputation of the lower limbs. The most frequent reasons for hospitalization. They are preventable by routine foot care. People who have diabetes should have foot check-ups as a part of their regular care routine. Problems can arise which lead to ulceration and ultimately amputation. These include:

• Neuropathy (loss of sensation)

• Circulation problems

• Foot ulcers

• Charcot foot (broken bones)

• Any signs of damage to the foot, cuts, sores, burns, blisters or ulcers.

In people with reduced circulation or sensation in the foot, even small damage could be significant.

If you, or someone close to you, have had to have an amputation because of diabetes and you believe this is due to the negligence of a medical professional, you might want to find out more about potentially making a claim for compensation.

There are a number of different types of amputation that are more common for diabetics, looked at in more detail below. Diabetic amputation causes can vary, but the parts of the body affected are usually the lower limbs, including:

Diabetic foot amputation Amputation is always a last resort if all other treatment avenues have been explored already or are simply not possible for some reason. If needed, due to serious infection having set in that cannot be rectified in any other way, some of the different types of amputation in a diabetic's foot may include:

• Removing one or more toes

• Partial foot amputation

• Whole foot amputation.

The decision on any type of foot amputation due to diabetes will weigh up various factors, that include the level and location of the infection, the patient's wishes and the route of treatment that provides the best possible options for mobility in the future.

Toe amputation with diabetes Diabetes and toe amputation are often linked, because someone with diabetes is more likely to get an infection in a wound on their foot or toes. If there is a wound that gets infected and this isn't caught in time, it can progress to the point that a toe amputation is unfortunately the only option.

Depending on the level and location of the infection, there could be one toe that requires amputation, or several. While it might seem extreme, if the toe amputation isn't carried out, it's usually the case that the infection spreads through the lower limb and can mean that a whole foot or leg amputation is needed to save the life of the individual.

Leg amputation with diabetes Diabetes and leg amputation can be linked due to the increased risk of lower limb infections for those with diabetes. If infection sets in then there is sometimes no alternative than to amputate, and the type of leg amputation will depend on the level and location of the infection.

If the infection started in the foot but has set in to the degree that the foot cannot be saved, then a lower-leg amputation (below the knee) may be appropriate if it has not spread to the upper portion of the leg. For infections that have spread further or began further up the limb, an upper-leg amputation (above the knee) might be needed.

The team of solicitors has extensive expertise in providing legal services and support for cases centring on Amputation Due to Diabetes Negligence. We work with clients throughout the nation so contact us now to connect with the team.