Plastic surgery reconstruction of the diabetic foot.
Soft tissue reconstruction of the diabetic foot is a challenge for the perioperative team. Primary closure may not be an option and secondary healing may not be reliable. Therefore, surgery is vital and should be coordinated among a well-functioning multidisciplinary team that specializes in caring for patients with diabetes mellitus. Team members must have expertise in reconstructive surgery to ensure adequate wound healing. This article emphasizes the appropriate timing and staging of surgery, discusses the most common plastic surgery techniques, and underscores the importance of a team approach in the management of diabetic foot wounds.
Department of Orthopaedics, Podiatry Division, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Thomas
T
Zgonis
John J
JJ
Stapleton
Roberto H
RH
Rodriguez
Valerie A
VA
Girard-Powell
Douglas T
DT
Cromack
D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000451:nursing / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D013524:Surgical Flaps