SHARJAH // The number of diabetes patients undergoing surgery to have feet amputated has decreased by up to 50 per cent at a treatment centre that is the first of its kind in the UAE.
The Hyperbaric Oxygen Unit at Al Qassimi hospital was established in December as a last resort to save patients with infected feet before doctors have no other option but to amputate, said Dr Abdullah Albloshi, general surgeon and head of the unit.
As part of the treatment, which is provided free of charge to Emiratis, a patient lies in a closed capsule, breathing highly-pressurised oxygen that reaches cells which do not normally receive enough oxygen because of infection. “This kind of oxygen improves the performance of the immune system and strengthens the antibiotics in the body,” Dr Albloshi said.
So far this year, the hospital has treated 40 cases of diabetic foot with advanced wounds and ulcers, with only nine amputations required.
Last year, 19 patients had a diabetic foot amputated out of 43 cases.
Three patients who lost their hearing because of diabetes were also treated and showed signs of improvement in their condition.
A patient will typically undergo 20 to 30 sessions, with each lasting between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the individual case.
A patient with chronic bone inflammation in a diabetic foot would need daily sessions for a month, Dr Albloshi said.
Diabetics who do not look after their health can start to develop ulcers on their feet because of weakened blood circulation.
As an ulcer gets worse, it damages the tissues and bones of the foot and may lead to the need for partial or complete amputation, depending on the damaged area.
Recent studies have found that 18.7 per cent of the UAE population is diabetic, with up to 150 new cases of diabetes reported each day, some in children as young as six.
tzriqat@thenational.ae