We just became privy to a VA news document concerning the disturbing number of Veteran foot amputations and deaths post amputation!! This document was dated July 11, 2023.
Eric Koleda, a veteran, with the Treat Now Coalition has updated and released, "The Veteran Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) Epidemic: A US Department of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Services Review."
His analysis of recent data acquired from a Congressional office provided by the Deputy Under Secretary of Health for the VHA, Dr. Steven Lieberman, indicates 786,340 Veterans have died from Lower Limb Amputations (LLA) resulting from Diabetic Foot Ulcers in the past 22 years. This is more than all the Veterans Killed In Action in all the U.S. Wars (623,982) since the start of World War I. The current VHA DFU Lower Limb Amputations (LLA) Veteran mortality rate is 64 -71 percent within 3 years post LLA Surgery.
Glenn Butler, founder and CEO of Life Support Technologies Group in New York, who operates a network of twelve New York Tri-State Hospital based Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy services participating in the VA Community Care Provider Network.
Glenn shared, "We have been available to accept referrals for HBOT from New York, Manhattan, Bronx and Northport VA Medical centers for many years and have only seen a few family or self- referred Diabetic Veteran's requesting advanced care in one of our hospital- based Diabetic Limb Salvage programs. These services provide aggressive evaluation, vascular surgical intervention, wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy per CMS Medicare, FDA, Tricare, and VA guidelines."
Further portions of this document can be located under, VETERAN DIABETIC FOOT ULCER AMPUTATIONS UPDATE.
Comments