Doctor Adrian Lambraño | Ortopedista | Especialista en Pie Diabético

When I assess a wound in a diabetic foot, I do not just look at whether the skin is open. What truly defines urgency is the presence of certain aggravating factors that tell me the lesion may worsen quickly, become deeply infected, or compromise tissue viability. That is why, when a diabetic foot ulcer or wound shows these 4 warning signs, my message is clear: do not wait . 1. 🔴 Infection: redness, pus, bad odor, or fever Infection is one of the most dangerous turning points in diabetic foot disease. In diabetic foot ulcers, infection is common, and classic warning signs include cellulitis or spreading redness, swelling, increased local warmth, bad odor, pus, and sometimes abscess formation . A very important point: because of neuropathy , pain may be absent. So a patient may have a serious infection and still say, “It doesn’t hurt.” From a practical standpoint, these are the signs that make me think of urgent diabetic foot infection: Redness spreading around the wound P...

In my practice, I see something that happens far too often: amputation usually does not begin with one major accident, but with small daily mistakes that seem harmless. We know that diabetic foot is one of the most feared complications of diabetes. Between 4% and 10% of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers, and the lifetime risk may be as high as 25% . In addition, around 85% of diabetes-related amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer . We also know that neuropathy, ischemia, poor glycemic control, biomechanical factors, and smoking increase that risk. That is why I want to explain, clearly and step by step, which everyday mistakes can lead to a wound, then an infection, and finally an amputation. 1. Not checking your feet every day This is probably the most common mistake. Many patients tell me, “Doctor, I didn’t feel anything.” And that is exactly the problem. Diabetic neuropathy can reduce or eliminate the protective sensation in the foot. In fact, it affects up to 50% of pat...

Every week I see patients who come to my office or to the ER saying the same sentence: “Doctor, it started as a tiny wound… and I used a home remedy someone recommended.” The problem is that, in the context of diabetic foot , many of those well-intentioned recommendations end up making the wound worse, favoring infections and increasing the risk of amputation . We know from scientific literature that: Between 4% and 10% of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers , and the lifetime risk of developing one can reach 25% . Around 85% of diabetes-related amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer . Approximately 56% of diabetic foot ulcers become infected , and many of those infections lead to hospitalization and surgery. With numbers like these, you can understand why I insist so much on avoiding certain “home remedies”. Below I’ll walk you through, step by step and in order , the main ones I see in practice and why you should NOT use them. 1. Lemon Juice Directly on t...

Why I Talk So Much About Shoes in My Consultations I’m Dr. Adrián Lambraño , an orthopedic surgeon specialized in the prevention and integral management of diabetic foot . If you’ve ever been to my office, you’ve probably noticed something: I always end up checking your shoes. Why? Because I know that a shoe can be the starting point of an ulcer… or the barrier that prevents it. We know that diabetic foot —ulcers, infections, gangrene—is one of the most feared complications of diabetes. Between 4% and 10% of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers , and the lifetime risk can reach 25% . In about 85% of cases, these ulcers precede a lower-limb amputation . With numbers like these, it’s easy to think only about surgery, antibiotics and hospital stays. But very often the story begins much earlier, with something as everyday as a poorly chosen shoe . 1. Why Footwear Matters So Much in Diabetic Foot The core problem comes down to three factors that we see over and over again in stu...