The diabetic Charcot foot is a very debilitating disease process for patients. However there are very exciting medical breakthroughs in the treatment of the disease.

Diabetic Charcot foot is a highly missed diagnosis, It usually presents as a red hot swollen foot that is often confused with being a cellulitis or an abscess foot infection. I have seen too many unfortunate cases where the patient was told they had a diabetic foot infection when it was really a diabetic charcot foot. Educating other surgeons and doctors is a key issue in preventing unnecessary surgeries and unnecessary amputations of the foot and leg. The more doctors and patients alike that look out for this process, then the better off the public is. Dont let a red hot swollen foot fool you. If you are a diabetic, or if you have had a kidney or pancreas transplant then you are at an increased risk for Diabetic Charcot foot, otherwise known as Charcot neuroarthropathy.  There have been some recent studies showing the people that have have kidney and or pancreas transplants have an increased risk to get charcot foot.

The number one priority , once you have confirmed it is a diabetic charcot foot is to stabilize the foot and prevent continuation of deformity. A deformed foot will lead to ulcers and that leads to infection which will then bring one to an amputation of a toe foot or even leg.

Here at the Advanced Foot And Ankle Center of San Diego we have developed cutting edge methods of stabilizing the diabetic charcot foot and preventing severe deformity. This may require one or two surgeries. But that is not a lot if you have your foot on your leg in the end. So make sure to keep you sugar levels and HBA1c levels under control, because those are strong indicators of one that may end up with a Diabetic Charcot foot. and dont forget to make an appointment with me if you or a loved one is affected with this disorder , we can save the foot.