IJSR International Journal of Scientific Research 2277 - 8179 Indian Society for Health and Advanced Research ijsr-7-5-15242 Original Research Paper DIABETIC ULCER FOOT: GENERAL SURGEONS PERSPECTIVE Vipul Gurjar Dr. Dr Ketul Shah Dr. May 2018 7 5 01 02 ABSTRACT

 Ulcers are the leading cause of hospitalization in patients with diabetes mellitus and precede approximately 70–80% of all diabetic–related

amputations (1, 2) . Timely healing and closure is critical to reducing the cost and morbidity associated with chronic diabetic lower extremity
wounds (3–5). Split thickness skin grafts (STSG) are a well–known and widely accepted method for soft tissue coverage of open wounds (6).
Historically, this technique has had a significant role in burn wounds and plastic surgery reconstruction, but has also been used successfully in the
treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers (7–9). There are a vast number of wound care products and synthetic grafts available to the clinician today,
but STSG remain the gold standard and may be considered a first–line treatment for lower extremity wounds associated with diabetes. Despite its
common indications, there have been few large studies assessing the use of STSG as a modality for treatment of diabetic foot and leg wounds.
Furthermore, few papers have examined the effect of individual patient risk factors on the healing time of STSG in the diabetic population. The aim
of this retrospective review was to study the clinical use of STSG in a diabetic population and also identify any risk factors that may affect healing
time or lead to complications.