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Amputation Due to Diabetes Negligence

SOLVING PERSONAL LEGAL MATTERS

Forbes Solicitors' diabetic amputation claims solicitors offer expert legal advice to individuals who have suffered amputation as a result of medical negligence related to diabetes. Our experienced team understands the impact that amputation can have on individuals and works closely with our clients to achieve the best possible outcome from a diabetic amputation claim.

If you've suffered an amputation following a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of diabetes, or mismanagement of your condition by medical professionals, you could be eligible to claim compensation.

What is Amputation Due to Diabetes?

Amputation due to diabetes is the surgical removal of a body part, typically a limb, due to complications from the disease. This is a serious procedure, often done as a last resort to prevent the spread of infection, reduce pain, and improve mobility. People with diabetes are more likely to require amputations compared to those without the disease.

Diabetes amputations

While many people living with diabetes are able to manage the condition throughout their life and not require an amputation, sometimes there can be complications that can result in amputation being the only option.

Why diabetes causes amputation

People with diabetes have a higher risk of lower limb amputation than those without the condition. This is because having diabetes can sometimes lead to the individual developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), which causes the blood vessels to narrow and therefore reduces the flow of blood to the legs and feet. This can make it slower for the body to heal wounds and be less able to fight off any infection that develops.

It's also possible that diabetes can lead to nerve damage, also known as peripheral neuropathy, which can prevent the individual from feeling pain and this means they may not realise there is a problem until it's too late to prevent amputation.

Diabetic amputations due to negligence

There are a few different ways in which diabetic amputation might be due to medical negligence.

It might be that your diabetes is not diagnosed in a timely manner because of the negligence of medical professionals, which results in the condition not being under control, an infection setting in to one or more of the lower limbs and leading to an amputation being necessary. If you are mistakenly diagnosed and treated for the wrong condition, instead of for diabetes, this could also have the same outcome because of the delay in receiving the correct treatment.
It could be that your diabetes is not being effectively controlled by your treatment and a medical professional fails to notice this or implement any changes to your treatment plan, which later leads to an amputation being necessary. It could also be the case that a medical professional fails to diagnose and treat you for infection, despite there being signs and symptoms present, that later leads to amputation.
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of amputation of the lower limbs. The most frequent reasons for hospitalization. They are preventable by routine foot care.
People who have diabetes should have foot check-ups as a part of their regular care routine.
Problems can arise which lead to ulceration and ultimately amputation. These include:
Neuropathy (loss of sensation)
Circulation problems
Foot ulcers
Charcot foot (broken bones)
Any signs of damage to the foot, cuts, sores, burns, blisters or ulcers. In people with reduced circulation or sensation in the foot, even small damage could be significant.

If you, or someone close to you, have had to have an amputation because of diabetes and you believe this is due to the negligence of a medical professional, you might want to find out more about potentially making a claim for compensation.

Diabetic amputation claims

Going through an amputation can be very challenging to deal with at any time and for any reason. However, if your amputation was necessary because of a medical professional's negligence, it can feel like even more of an injustice, because it was preventable. While no amount of compensation can make up for going through the stress, trauma, pain and suffering that amputation can cause, having a successful diabetes amputation claim can help you regain a sense of justice having been done, and can also help you to move forward with some financial security.

Types of diabetes-related amputations

There are a number of different types of amputation that are more common for diabetics, looked at in more detail below. Diabetic amputation causes can vary, but the parts of the body affected are usually the lower limbs, including:

Diabetic foot amputation

Amputation is always a last resort if all other treatment avenues have been explored already or are simply not possible for some reason. If needed, due to serious infection having set in that cannot be rectified in any other way, some of the different types of amputation in a diabetic's foot may include:

Removing one or more toes
Partial foot amputation
Whole foot amputation

The decision on any type of foot amputation due to diabetes will weigh up various factors, that include the level and location of the infection, the patient's wishes and the route of treatment that provides the best possible options for mobility in the future.

Toe amputation with diabetes

Diabetes and toe amputation are often linked, because someone with diabetes is more likely to get an infection in a wound on their foot or toes. If there is a wound that gets infected and this isn't caught in time, it can progress to the point that a toe amputation is unfortunately the only option.

Depending on the level and location of the infection, there could be one toe that requires amputation, or several. While it might seem extreme, if the toe amputation isn't carried out, it's usually the case that the infection spreads through the lower limb and can mean that a whole foot or leg amputation is needed to save the life of the individual.

Leg amputation with diabetes

Diabetes and leg amputation can be linked due to the increased risk of lower limb infections for those with diabetes. If infection sets in then there is sometimes no alternative than to amputate, and the type of leg amputation will depend on the level and location of the infection.

If the infection started in the foot but has set in to the degree that the foot cannot be saved, then a lower-leg amputation (below the knee) may be appropriate if it has not spread to the upper portion of the leg. For infections that have spread further or began further up the limb, an upper-leg amputation (above the knee) might be needed.

The team of solicitors has extensive expertise in providing legal services and support for cases centring on Amputation Due to Diabetes Negligence. We work with clients throughout the nation so contact us now to connect with the team.

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FAQs

Why does diabetes cause limb amputation?

Diabetes in itself does not cause limb amputation, but those with diabetes do have a higher chance of getting an infection in a wound that they might have, due to a combination of reasons. These include potential blood flow reduction and/or nerve damage in the feet and legs, especially if the diabetes is not being effectively managed.

What causes leg amputation in diabetics?

Diabetics do have a higher risk of infection in their feet or legs, and sometimes this infection might worsen and mean that there is no other option apart from amputation. This is always a last resort, but is sometimes needed to save the life of the individual with diabetes.

Why do diabetics get their feet amputated?

There are some circumstances in which someone with diabetes might require one or both of their feet to be amputated. This will usually be because a wound on the foot has become infected and this has spread to the point that the foot or feet cannot be saved.

Diabetics can have a higher risk of infection setting in due to reduced blood flow to their lower limbs if their condition is not being well-managed.

Why do diabetics die after amputations?

It's not common for diabetics to pass away after having an amputation, but it is statistically more likely for them to do so than someone undergoing the same amputation who doesn't have diabetes. There is ongoing research into this to try and determine the factors causing the deaths of diabetics after amputation.

Is there a link between diabetes medication and amputations?

There have been some links found between certain medications sometimes used to help control diabetes and an increased risk of the individual requiring an amputation at some point. It's important for diabetics and the medical professionals responsible for their care to regularly check lower limbs for any signs of infection that could lead to amputation if not treated quickly and effectively.

If you have diabetes, it's important that your doctor discusses the potential risks of any treatments and medications with you so that you can make informed decisions about the ongoing management of your condition.

What percentage of diabetics have amputations?

NHS figures show that people who have diabetes are 15 times more likely to require at least one amputation than people who are not diabetic. The latest figures from Diabetes UK show that there were 27,465 diabetes-related amputations from 2015-2018.

If you think that your diabetes-related amputation was caused by clinical negligence, we can help to determine whether you are eligible to claim compensation. Get in touch with our specialist team to find out more.