Diabetic Foot Treatment in Mohali — Wound Care, Surgery & Limb Salvage

Understanding the Condition

What Is a Diabetic Foot?

"Diabetic foot" is the term for the range of foot problems that develop in people living with diabetes — from a small crack or blister that will not heal, to a deep ulcer, spreading infection, or gangrene that threatens the leg. Diabetic foot complications are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation in India, and the tragedy is that most of them are preventable when caught and treated early.

The reason a minor injury can become limb-threatening in a person with diabetes comes down to three factors that usually act together — a combination clinicians call the diabetic foot triad.

Why It Happens

The Diabetic Foot Triad

Neuropathy, ischaemia and infection rarely act alone. Where they overlap, a trivial wound becomes a limb-threatening emergency.

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1. Neuropathy — Loss of Protective Sensation

Years of high blood sugar damage the nerves in the feet. Because pain is the body's warning system, a patient may not feel a stone in the shoe, a tight strap, or a blister forming. The injury goes unnoticed and untreated — and keeps being walked on — until it becomes a deep ulcer.

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2. Ischaemia — Poor Blood Flow

Diabetes accelerates narrowing of the arteries supplying the legs and feet (peripheral arterial disease). Wounds need oxygen, white cells and nutrients delivered by blood to heal — when circulation is inadequate, even good wound care cannot close the wound. Assessing and, where possible, restoring blood flow is central to treatment.

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3. Infection — Spreads Fast in High Glucose

A high-glucose environment feeds bacteria and cripples the immune cells that should fight them. What starts as a superficial ulcer can develop into cellulitis, abscess, bone infection (osteomyelitis) or gangrene within days — and in severe cases, life-threatening sepsis requiring intensive care.

Why this matters for treatment

Because these three factors act together, treating only the wound is not enough. Effective diabetic foot care must simultaneously address the infection, assess and improve blood flow, offload pressure from the wound, and bring blood sugar under tight control. That is the principle behind Dr. Beant Sidhu's integrated approach at Gini.

Staging the Wound

The Wagner Wound Grading System (Grade 0–5)

The Wagner classification stages a diabetic foot ulcer by depth and tissue damage. The grade determines the treatment plan — and how urgently it is needed.

Grade	What It Looks Like	Treatment Approach
Grade 0	At-risk foot — no open ulcer, but deformity, callus, or previous ulcer/neuropathy present.	Preventive foot care, protective footwear/offloading, callus removal, patient education, regular review.
Grade 1	Superficial ulcer — skin only, not through the full thickness.	Wound cleaning, dressings, offloading pressure, treating any infection, tightening glucose control.
Grade 2	Deeper ulcer reaching tendon, joint capsule or bone — without abscess or bone infection.	Debridement, advanced dressings, possible wound VAC, antibiotics as needed, vascular assessment.
Grade 3	Deep ulcer with abscess, deep infection or bone infection (osteomyelitis).	Surgical debridement, drainage, IV antibiotics, imaging, often inpatient care; vascular and glucose optimisation.
Grade 4	Localised gangrene — part of the foot (e.g. toes or forefoot).	Urgent assessment, revascularisation where possible, limb-salvage surgery, minor amputation to preserve maximum functional length.
Grade 5	Extensive gangrene involving the whole foot, often with systemic infection.	Emergency admission, sepsis control in ICU, major surgical decision-making balancing limb salvage and life-saving amputation.

The higher the grade, the more urgent the assessment. If you are unsure of the grade of a wound, do not wait — call +91 82888 43800 for same-day review.

Your Specialist

Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu — Diabetic Foot Specialist

Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu

Diabetic Foot Specialist & Diabetes Specialist

Trained under Dr. Anil Bhansali · PGIMER Chandigarh

✓ Manages the full spectrum of diabetic foot — from early neuropathic ulcers to infected wounds with bone involvement, gangrene, and cases referred elsewhere for amputation
✓ Wound debridement, advanced dressings, wound vacuum-assisted closure (VAC), vascular assessment (ABI, Doppler) and foot surgery
✓ Simultaneous intensive blood-sugar control — the rate-limiting step in healing — drawing on her endocrinology training under Dr. Anil Bhansali
✓ A limb-salvage-first philosophy: cases arriving with "no option but amputation" are reassessed systematically before any irreversible decision

Dr. Beant Sidhu is one of the most experienced diabetic foot specialists in the Chandigarh Tri-City. She works at the intersection of endocrinology and wound medicine — treating the whole patient, not just the presenting wound. Her outcomes reflect meticulous wound and vascular care combined with the aggressive glucose control that healing requires.

95% limb salvage rate. Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu achieves a 95% limb salvage rate at Gini — significantly above the national average — including in cases referred from other centres where amputation had been recommended.

View Full Profile →

Hospital-Integrated Care

Integrated Diabetic Foot Care Under One Roof

A diabetic foot is never only a wound. Healing depends on blood sugar, blood flow, and control of infection at the same time — which is why standalone wound clinics so often fail. At Gini, everything the foot needs is in one building, communicating in real time.

When Dr. Beant Sidhu admits a patient with a severe diabetic foot infection:

Dr. Beant Sidhu leads the wound and foot management — debridement, dressings, VAC, surgery
Dr. Anil Bhansali optimises blood-sugar control — the rate-limiting step, as wounds cannot heal in a high-glucose environment
The ICU and critical care team manage any systemic sepsis arising from a severe foot infection
In-house vascular assessment (ABI, Doppler) evaluates blood flow and the need for revascularisation
In-house lab returns results fast — critical for timely antibiotic and surgical decisions
Daily multidisciplinary review keeps every specialist aligned on the plan

This is what hospital-integrated diabetic foot care looks like — and it is the reason limbs are saved that a standalone clinic would lose.

See our ICU & Critical Care →

Do Not Wait

When to Seek Same-Day Assessment

In a diabetic foot, hours matter. If you have diabetes and notice any of the following, get assessed the same day — do not wait for your next scheduled appointment.

🔴 A new wound, ulcer or blister

Any break in the skin of the foot — even if it does not hurt. Painlessness is a warning sign, not reassurance.

🔴 Redness, swelling, warmth or smell

Signs of infection spreading. A bad odour or the foot feeling hot are red flags for urgent review.

🔴 Black or discoloured skin

Darkening skin can signal gangrene or dying tissue. This is a limb-threatening emergency.

🔴 Pus, discharge or fever

Discharge from a wound, or feeling generally unwell/feverish with a foot wound, may mean the infection has become systemic.

🔴 A wound that is not improving

Any diabetic foot wound that has not shown clear improvement within a couple of weeks needs specialist review.

🔴 Told you may need amputation

Before accepting an amputation recommendation, seek a second opinion. Many limbs can still be saved. See limb salvage →

Same-day diabetic foot assessment

If any of the above applies to you or a family member, call our 24/7 line now. Do not wait.

📞 +91 82888 43800 (24/7 Emergency)

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Diabetic foot treatment at Gini Advanced Care Hospital, Mohali.

What is a diabetic foot and why does it happen? +

Diabetic foot is a group of foot problems that develop in people with diabetes, driven by three overlapping factors — the "triad": neuropathy (nerve damage that removes the protective sensation of pain), ischaemia (poor blood flow from narrowed arteries), and infection (which spreads quickly in a high-glucose environment). Together, this triad turns a small blister or crack into a non-healing ulcer that can threaten the limb.

What is the Wagner grading system for diabetic foot ulcers? +

The Wagner system classifies diabetic foot ulcers from Grade 0 (at-risk foot, no open wound) through Grade 1 (superficial ulcer), Grade 2 (deeper ulcer reaching tendon or capsule), Grade 3 (deep ulcer with abscess or bone infection/osteomyelitis), Grade 4 (localised gangrene), to Grade 5 (extensive gangrene of the whole foot). The grade guides the treatment plan — from offloading and dressings at low grades to surgery, revascularisation and limb salvage at higher grades.

When should I seek same-day assessment for a diabetic foot? +

Seek same-day assessment if you have diabetes and notice any of: a new ulcer, blister or break in the skin; redness, swelling, warmth or a bad smell; black or discoloured skin; pus or discharge; fever or feeling unwell with a foot wound; or a wound that is not improving. Infection in a diabetic foot can progress within hours. Call the Gini emergency line on +91 82888 43800.

Can a diabetic foot that was recommended for amputation be saved? +

Often, yes. Many patients referred for amputation are reassessed and treated with wound care, debridement, infection control, vascular assessment and intensive blood-sugar optimisation to save the limb or preserve maximum functional length. If you have been told amputation is necessary, seek a second opinion before accepting it. See our limb salvage page or call +91 82888 43800.

Who treats diabetic foot at Gini Advanced Care Hospital? +

Diabetic foot at Gini is led by Dr. Beant Kaur Sidhu, a diabetic foot specialist trained under Dr. Anil Bhansali. She works within an integrated team: Dr. Anil Bhansali optimises blood-sugar control, the ICU manages systemic sepsis, and in-house vascular assessment and lab support the wound plan — all under one roof in Mohali.

Why is blood-sugar control part of diabetic foot treatment? +

Wounds cannot heal in a high-glucose environment — elevated blood sugar impairs white-cell function, slows tissue repair and feeds infection. That is why diabetic foot care at Gini always runs alongside aggressive glucose control, co-managed with endocrinology, rather than treating the wound in isolation.

Diabetic Foot — Related Care