“Limb salvage”

Limb salvage typically consists of these three components:

  1. Identify foot infection.
  2. Apply surgical techniques to treat foot infection.
  3. Identify peripheral artery disease (PAD).
  4. Perform revascularization.
  5. Ensure wound healing / foot reconstruction to restore an intact epithelial surface.

Palliative wound care

Provide palliative wound care for patients who won’t benefit from limb salvage efforts. We have defined palliative wound care as wound care done without the expectation of wound healing.

Leg amputation

In selected patients, perform leg amputation if this would improve quality of life and/or function. —

The Disease Process and Interdisciplinary-Multidisciplinary Care

Amputation prevention and limb salvage has been challenging because it requires interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary care. All health care providers should understand all these above-described components of limb salvage management – even the components he/she is not directly providing. The system of care must be cohesive and coordinated for reliably-good outcomes.

PAD and limb loss

(Venn diagram from our 2013 “System of Care” review paper)