Amputation preventable with timely treatment: Doc

Tribune News Service
Panchkula, November 5

Due to shortage of trained doctors who can treat PVD/acute ischemia, more than 80,000 people ended up getting limbs amputated.

Amputation due to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) could be prevented in 90 per cent of the cases with proper education and timely treatment.

These views were expressed by Dr HK Bali, chairman, Paras Super Speciality Hospital, while addressing the media yesterday to create awareness among people on PVD and diabetic foot.

Dr Bali said in PVD, the arteries that carry blood to the arms or legs become narrowed or clogged, leading to slowing or stoppage of blood flow.

This disease most commonly affects legs and sometimes occurs in arms. Many people do not give much importance to initial symptoms, such as pain or numbness in legs or arms because they mistakenly believe it is a normal part of ageing. Ignoring the symptoms may lead to gangrene and eventually limb loss.

Describing the main symptoms of the disease, Dr Bali said it starts as pain on walking graduates to pain at rest, then causing non healing ulcers, and cold limb that could finally lead to gangrene causing amputation.

“In cases of pain during rest (pain on lying down) and ulcers, it requires immediate treatment to prevent limb loss in the form of angiography and angioplasty/stenting, and as a last resort surgery. Gangrene has to be avoided at all costs, but once it sets in, amputation is the only choice as a life saving option,” said Dr Bali.