Vijay Viswanathan, head and chief diabetologist, M.V. Hospital for Diabetes and Prof. M. Viswanathan Diabetes Research Centre, stressed on the need for steps to ensure that no one lost their leg to diabetes.
In a discussion organised by South India MICE Association (SIMA) on Saturday with journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Dr. Viswanathan said that the vast majority of the amputations underwent by diabetic people in India were completely avoidable.
Citing research done by him, he said that more than 70% of the amputations undergone by diabetic people were due to diabetic neuropathy.
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Pointing out that the condition resulted in loss of sensation because of which minor infections and injuries to feet were ignored initially by the patients, leading to worsening of infection and eventually to amputation.
Dr. Viswanathan said there was a need to train doctors on foot care, and they could in turn educate their patients. He highlighted the work done by D-Foot International, a Belgium-based global organisation, in this area.
Dr. Viswanathan was the first non-European to be elected to serve as its president from 2021 to 2023. He said that one of the key initiatives of the organisation was to train doctors in different countries.
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Dr. Viswanathan recollected the numerous research work carried out in his career spanning three decades.