ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The end stage of the diabetic foot syndrome is the requirement for amputation. In the United Kingdom, 80% of all amputations carried out are due to vascular disease, of which 20% to 30% are due to diabetes (1). Patients with diabetes have a 15 times increased risk of amputation relative to the normal population (2). Sadly amputation is often seen as a failure of care in patients with diabetes; however, for some patients, it should be perceived as a positive procedure as it allows the patient to move forward in their care. Often, patients will have been suffering with chronic sepsis, ischemic pain, or open necrotic wounds which have been dominating their lives. Formal amputation will allow them to move on to a new chapter in their lives free from infection and pain (3).
