MUMBAI, 6th JULY, 2022 (GPN): With Growth Factor Concentrate Therapy, the team of doctors at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, successfully treated 60 year old Mrs Tambe and saved her foot from Amputation.

Mrs. Tambe was suffering with Diabetes for more than 20 years. About 18 months back she developed sudden pain and swelling in her left foot. She visited various doctors over last few months, however the
ulcer on her foot was not healing causing her severe distress.

She visited Wockhardt hospital on a wheelchair, where she underwent thorough evaluation and was advised admission. After admission, she underwent various investigations, wherein she was diagnosed
with Charcot foot deformity. The first step the doctors took was to get her diabetes under control.

She then had to undergo surgical debridement followed by Growth Factor Therapy. A diabetic foot ulcer is one of the most complex and dangerous complication that develops in the lower limb in a patient with diabetes. Around, 12% to 15% of diabetes patients suffer with Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU) at least once in a lifetime. The mortality rate for people who undergo lower extremity amputation due to a DFU remains alarming, more than half of population undergoing major limb amputation succumb within 5 years.

According to Dr Behram Pardiwala, Director, Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central,“Diabetes is a silent killer, people with diabetes develop corn,callousities, rough skin which further
develops to full-fledged ulcers. Such patients should immediately seek medical assistance to avoid gangrene, ulcers, and wounds. In this case, Ms Tambe had a history of diabetes for the past 20 years so before treatment her diabetes had to be brought under control.

Once her diabetes was in control, she
underwent a surgical debridement to get rid of all the dead tissue and infection following which she was started on Growth factor concentrate treatment.

Dr Shraddha Deshpande, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central says, “There is a lack of awareness in India around diabetes and related complications.Usually, people visit the hospital at the last stage when the case becomes complicated. In case of Mrs.Tambe, we identified the condition in stage 3 and initiated treatment at the earliest. After achieving diabetic control and performing surgical debridement, we started on growth factor concentrate therapy along with offloading of the foot. GFC is a novel technique of treatment of chronic intractable ulcers, which uses growth factors which are harvested from the patient’s own blood.

This is a technique currently in use only at Wockhardt hospital. She underwent treatment twice weekly, in which the GFC was infiltrated into the wound. She regularly followed up on an outpatient basis and within 45 days of initiation of GFC therapy, we could achieve complete healing of the wound.

Relieved from the pain and the impediment Ms Tambe said, “I was a complete wreck, unable to walk and in pain for the last 14 to 15 months. I was worried of becoming bedridden as none of the doctors could
diagnose the exact cause of the wound and the treatment thereafter. The doctors at Wockhardt Hospitals, could diagnose my ailment and arrived at a treatment which has brought a lot of relief to me. I have almost recovered hoping to lead a normal life. Strict diet and control of diabetes is very important for the treatment of my wound, which I am following as advised by my doctors.”

With the use of GFC, wounds have healed rapidly as compared to conventional ways of treatment, many times preventing the need for surgery. GFC is a high-quality patient care therapy that helps to prevent amputation amongst DFU patients in terms of having a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life and the burden on the healthcare system.-Ends.