Diabetic Foot Surgery & Debridement in Mohali | Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu

Procedures

Types of Diabetic Foot Surgery

Diabetic foot surgery is not one operation — it is a toolkit. The right procedure depends on the wound, the infection, the blood supply and the shape of the foot. Often several are combined over the course of healing.

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Surgical Debridement

The foundation of diabetic foot surgery. Dead, infected and non-healing tissue is removed to leave a clean, healthy wound bed that can actually heal. Debridement also lets the surgeon see how deep an infection runs and whether bone is involved.

It may be a single procedure or repeated over several sittings as the wound improves. Prompt, thorough debridement is one of the strongest predictors of saving a diabetic foot.

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Wound VAC / Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy

A sealed dressing applies gentle, controlled suction across the wound. It removes excess fluid, lowers bacterial load, improves local blood flow and draws the wound edges together — accelerating the growth of healthy granulation tissue.

Wound VAC is frequently used after debridement and to prepare a clean, well-vascularised bed before a skin graft.

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Split-Thickness Skin Grafting

When a large wound has a healthy base but is too big to close on its own, a thin layer of the patient's own skin is taken from another site (often the thigh) and placed over the wound to speed closure and reduce infection risk.

Grafting works best once infection is controlled and blood flow is adequate — which is why it usually follows debridement and VAC therapy.

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Minor / Ray Amputation to Preserve Function

Where a toe or a small segment of the foot is beyond saving, a minor or ray amputation removes only the unsalvageable part while keeping the foot functional and weight-bearing.

Removing a small part early often stops infection spreading and prevents a much larger amputation later. This is limb preservation, not defeat.

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Charcot Foot Reconstruction

In Charcot foot, weakened and insensitive bones fracture and collapse, deforming the foot and causing repeated ulcers over the pressure points. Reconstruction realigns and stabilises the bones so the foot can bear weight safely and stop breaking down.

This is complex, carefully planned surgery reserved for selected patients after detailed assessment.

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Adjuncts — Vascular & Regenerative Support

Surgery only works if the foot has blood supply. Alongside these procedures, Gini assesses circulation in-house (ABI, Doppler) and, in selected patients, uses stem cell therapy to stimulate new blood-vessel growth in feet with critically poor flow.

Restoring circulation is what turns a non-healing wound into a healing one.

Procedures performed at Gini include surgical debridement, wound VAC (negative pressure wound therapy), split-thickness skin grafting, and ray amputation (minor amputation preserving maximum foot function). Patients requiring major limb amputation are referred to appropriate centres — at Gini the goal is always to save as much of the limb as possible.

The Decision

Who Needs Surgery vs Who Can Be Managed Conservatively

Not every diabetic foot wound needs the operating theatre. A large proportion heal with careful non-surgical care. The skill lies in knowing which is which — and acting before a conservative case becomes a surgical one.

✅ Often Managed Without Surgery

✔ Superficial neuropathic ulcers with good blood flow
✔ Early ulcers without infection or dead tissue
✔ Wounds that respond to offloading and dressings
✔ Ulcers where pressure can be relieved (special footwear, casts)
✔ Cases where infection is limited and controlled by antibiotics

Conservative care still means active care: offloading, dressings, infection control and, above all, tight blood sugar control.

🔴 Usually Needs Surgery

✔ Dead (necrotic) tissue or gangrene present
✔ Deep infection, abscess or spreading cellulitis
✔ Bone infection (osteomyelitis)
✔ Wounds that will not heal despite good conservative care
✔ Deformity (e.g. Charcot foot) causing repeated ulcers
✔ Large wounds needing grafting to close

In these cases, timely surgery removes the problem tissue and gives the foot the best chance to heal — and is often what prevents a major amputation.

Your Journey

What to Expect — Before, During & After Surgery

Before surgery — assessment & optimisation

A full assessment maps the wound, checks for bone involvement (X-ray/imaging), tests circulation (ABI, Doppler) and reviews blood sugar, kidney and infection markers via the in-house lab. Where possible, blood sugar and general fitness are optimised first, because a well-prepared patient heals better. In emergencies — spreading infection, abscess, gangrene — surgery happens without delay.

During & around surgery — perioperative care

The procedure is chosen and staged for the individual foot. Around surgery, the team manages blood sugar closely, gives targeted antibiotics guided by cultures, monitors for infection, and coordinates critical-care support if the patient is systemically unwell. Everything happens under one roof — surgeon, endocrinology, lab, theatre and ICU in constant contact.

After surgery — recovery & protecting the result

Recovery combines wound care (dressings, VAC), offloading pressure from the healing area, sustained tight glucose control, and regular review. Healing in diabetes is slower than usual, so patience and follow-through matter. Dr. Sidhu gives each patient a realistic, individual timeline. The final phase is prevention — protecting the foot so the problem does not return.

Your Specialist

Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu — Diabetic Foot Surgical Expertise

Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu is one of the most experienced diabetic foot specialists in the Chandigarh Tri-City. She trained in endocrinology under Dr. Anil Bhansali — former Head of Endocrinology at PGIMER Chandigarh and one of India's most cited endocrinologists — and that grounding shapes her surgical philosophy: a wound will not heal unless the diabetes behind it is controlled.

Her approach combines meticulous wound and surgical management with aggressive metabolic control — debridement, wound VAC, vascular assessment, stem cell application and coordination of skin grafting, all alongside real-time blood-sugar optimisation. She has managed hundreds of complex diabetic foot cases, including many referred after other centres recommended amputation.

The result is a surgical service focused on one thing: removing only what must be removed, and saving the maximum possible foot.

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Explore Further

Related Diabetic Foot Care at Gini

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Diabetic Foot Treatment (Hub)

The complete diabetic foot programme — ulcers, infection, prevention and surgery.

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Limb Salvage in Mohali

How Gini saves feet and legs that other centres marked for amputation.

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Gangrene Foot Treatment

Emergency care for wet, dry and gas gangrene — timing is everything.

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Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu

Meet your diabetic foot specialist — training, expertise and outcomes.

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ICU & Critical Care

30-bed ICU support for severe infection and post-surgical care.

Common Questions

Diabetic Foot Surgery — Frequently Asked Questions

Does every diabetic foot wound need surgery?

No. Many diabetic foot ulcers are managed conservatively with offloading, dressings, infection control and tight blood sugar control. Surgery is reserved for wounds with dead or infected tissue, abscess, bone infection (osteomyelitis), deformity that keeps causing ulcers, or wounds that will not heal without reconstruction. Dr. Beant Sidhu assesses each foot and recommends surgery only when it offers a better or faster path to healing.

What is wound VAC (negative-pressure wound therapy)?

Wound VAC applies gentle, controlled suction to a sealed dressing over the wound. It draws out excess fluid, reduces swelling and bacterial load, improves local blood flow, and pulls the wound edges together — encouraging healthy tissue (granulation) to form faster. It is often used after debridement and to prepare a wound bed for skin grafting.

What is a ray or minor amputation, and how does it save the foot?

A minor or ray amputation removes only a toe (and sometimes the connected long bone in the foot) that is beyond saving, while preserving the rest of a functional, weight-bearing foot. Removing a small, unsalvageable part early often prevents the spread of infection and avoids a much larger amputation later — it is a limb-preserving operation, not a failure.

What is Charcot foot reconstruction?

Charcot foot is a condition in which weakened, insensitive bones in a diabetic foot fracture and collapse, deforming the foot and causing repeated ulcers. Reconstruction realigns and stabilises the collapsed bones so the foot can bear weight safely and stop breaking down. It is complex surgery reserved for selected patients after careful assessment.

How long does recovery from diabetic foot surgery take?

Recovery depends on the procedure, the wound size, blood supply and how well blood sugar is controlled. Simple debridement may heal in a few weeks; grafts and reconstruction take longer. Because healing in diabetes is slower, the plan always combines surgery with offloading, wound care, good circulation and tight glucose control. Dr. Sidhu gives each patient a realistic, individual timeline.

Can surgery be avoided if I come early?

Often, yes. The earlier a diabetic foot problem is seen, the more likely it can be treated without surgery — or with a much smaller procedure. Delays let infection reach bone and let tissue die, which is what forces bigger operations. Early specialist assessment is the single best way to avoid major surgery. Call +91 82888 43800 or book an assessment today.

Find Us

Gini Advanced Care Hospital — Mohali

Gini Advanced Care Hospital

Sector 69, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Punjab 160071

OPD

0172-4120100

Emergency (24/7)

+91 82888 43800

+91 81463 20100

🚨 Emergency: +91 82888 43800

Contributing — Gurjot Narwal, Founder

Diabetic Foot Surgery in Mohali — Debridement, VAC Therapy and Wound Reconstruction