Unani treatment and leech therapy saved the diabetic foot of a patient from amputation

Abstract

Every 30 seconds, a lower limb amputation is carried out due to diabetes throughout the world. The mortality rate due to diabetic foot gangrene is just next to that of cancer. As tissue death cannot be reversed, surgical removal of the affected tissue (debridement) or amputation of the limb is the only treatment option left when gangrene has advanced. The present case study illustrates an option to treat poorly healing diabetic wounds with Unani medicine (blood purifier and deobstruent) besides hirudotherapy. The study was performed on a 60-year-old woman suffering from diabetic foot (on the left) grade 5 and facing the prospect of imminent amputation. The patient was having severe pain (80 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale) in the gangrenous foot and foul-smelling with necrosed areas. Wound dressing was done with unripe papaya as it has a very good role in clearing necrotising area and hirudotherapy was also used in poorly healing wounds. The pain score decreased to 0-10 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale within 20 days and no further pain relieving medication was required. Over a time interval of nearly 3·5 months, necrotic areas disappeared and the wound was completely healed.

Keywords: Diabetic wound; Gangrene; Hirudotherapy; Non-healing ulcer; Unani medicine.