Revision surgery for diabetic foot infections: giving another chance to the patient.

Revision surgery (RS) is frequently needed to control diabetic foot infections. It is the aim of this retrospective observational study to analyze the variables associated with undergoing RS and the variables associated with undergoing a major amputation when RS was required. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with diabetes treated in our department during 10 years (January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2010) who had foot infections identifying those who required RS. In all, 167 out of 417 patients (40%) with diabetes who underwent surgery for foot infections underwent RS for persistent infection. The predictive variables related to undergoing revision surgery were erythrocyte sedimentation rate >70 mm/h (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-2.6), leukocytosis (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.5), peripheral arterial disease (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.4), and isolation of gram-negative rods from tissue biopsy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.5-3.4). Seventy-nine out of 167 patients (47.3) who underwent RS required a higher level of surgery achieving a limb salvage rate of 70.7%. Predictive variables related to undergoing a major amputation after RS were persistent infection located in the bone (OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.03-0.22), ischemic heart disease (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.4-8.5), 2 or more reoperations (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2-7.1), isolation of gram-negative rods from tissue biopsy (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.3-8.4), and peripheral arterial disease (OR = 6.5, 95% CI = 1.9-22.8). Despite the fact that 40% of patients underwent reoperations for diabetic foot infections and 47.3% of them required a higher level of surgery, a high rate of limb salvage could be achieved.