Conservative Management of Non-Infected Diabetic Foot Ulcers Achieves Reliable Wound Healing and Limb Salvage in the Setting of Mild-Moderate Ischemia

Abstract

Background: The Society for Vascular Surgery Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) classification system has been validated to predict wound healing among patients with critical limb threatening ischemia (CLTI). Our goal was to analyze the use of a previously reported conservative wound care approach to non-infected (foot infection score of zero), diabetic foot ulcers with mild-moderate peripheral arterial disease enrolled in a conservative tier of a multidisciplinary limb preservation program.

Methods: Veterans with CLTI and tissue loss were prospectively enrolled into our Prevention of Amputation in Veterans Everywhere (PAVE) program. All patients with wounds were stratified to a conservative approach based on perfusion evaluation and a validated pathway of care. Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was performed to evaluate all conservatively managed patients presenting without foot infection for the primary outcome of wound healing as well as secondary outcomes of time to wound healing, delayed revascularization, wound recurrence, and limb loss.

Results: Between January 2006 and December 2019, 1113 patients were prospectively enrolled into the PAVE program. A total of 241 limbs with 281 wounds (217 patients) were stratified to the conservative approach. Of these, 122 limbs (89 patients) met criteria of having diabetic foot wounds without infection at the time of enrollment and are analyzed in this report. Of the 122 limbs, 97 (79.5%) healed their index wound with a mean time to healing of 4.6 months (0.5-20 months). Wound recurrence ensued in 44 (45.4%) limbs, 93.2% of which healed again after recurrence. There were three (3.1%) limbs requiring major amputation in this group (one due to uncontrolled infection and two due to ischemic tissue loss). Of the 25 (20.5%) limbs that did not heal initially, four (16%) required amputation due to progressive symptoms of CLTI.

Conclusions: In patients with diabetes and lower extremity wounds without infection in the setting of mild to moderate peripheral arterial disease, there appears to be an acceptable rate of index wound healing, and appropriate rate of recurrent wound healing with a low risk of limb loss. While wound recurrence is frequent, this can be successfully treated without the need for revascularization.