A doctor recommended that my father get his leg amputated because an infection from diabetes has gone to his bone. He refuses and I cannot make him. What will happen to him?

Peter, that is very unpredictable. There can be chronic infection if the person is immunocompetent, rather than gangrene that would have a timeline of a few weeks most likely. Chronic infection can go on months or years, and may be associated with draining sinus tracts and a lot of pain, plus in some cases it causes amyloidosis with renal damage. If the circulation is sufficient IV antibiotics and debridement rather than amputation could effect a cure but this is OT as likely the case in long standing poorly controlled diabetes. Sorry you are having to stand by and watch things happen. Legally competent people are allowed to be unreasonable..but they can also get second opinions, and that might be worthwhile.

Hi--If this were my parent-I would get a 2nd opinion before such a drastic procedure---If both opinions do concur---then by all means amputation would be the way to go---to prevent t further complications down the line. If your dad is able to fully understand the pros and cons of the situation-then-after you do receive the opinions from both doc's---I would respect his opinion, knowing in full what the conseqence could be.
Best to you both with this difficult decision-
Hap

My mother is 89. She should be 90 in October. One of the sweetest ladies that ever lived/ She got a darn pressure sore on her heel at a care center in Pepin, WI named Pepin Rehab & Care. They knew about it a year ago in July. Mayo Clinic is an hour away. She should have been taken there the minute it was discovered. There were several different doctors with the clinic who kept passing her care around...so no one person could be blamed. They wrapped it, and put ointment on it for a couple months. Then one suggested a fleece boot over the wrap, They propped her foot up. They gave her pain pills. My sister lives 2 blocks from the Pepin Rehab. There are: me near KCMO, and a brother in Iowa, and a sister in Omaha. The sister in Pepin is so naive she believed Mom was being taken care of. She has "Power of Attorney". So she convinced Mom that it would heal, and the doctors knew what they were doing. They DIDN'T!...or maybe they were saving Medicare a few bucks? Or they were med school flunkies in a couple of tiny WI towns?.Time went on, and every couple months they would come up with something new. The heel turned BLACK. so they thought maybe the outer skin should be removed with tweezers. They Did Not have it debrided or seen by a specialist. About 6 months into this thing they suggested a podiatrist. She picked at the loose flakes of skin and told Mom she should have a Dr check her circulation in that foot. Well by the time that Dr had an appointment free (after his vacation), Mom was very sick and they decided she probably should be taken to Mayo Clinic. Mayo said it might have been handled earlier, but now the bone was infected, her circulation was poor, and they could do nothing except amputate. At 89+years of age, Mom said NO Amputation. To be honest, she might not have come thru surgery or after-care.)She's frail. So now she's back in Pepin Rrehab, in hospice, and was given one or two weeks to live. She's on week 4 and still going. I cannot tell you strongly enough that if your loved one gets a darn pressure sore , get the fastest, best care you can find. It might have been cured if cared for properly, and now she's dying because of a darn pressure sore. And you can Bet the darn doctors will not put THAT on her death certificate.

If we can help in any way, please let us know. Maybe we can help provide you with information. You can call our National Limb Loss Information Center for the information you need.

For information on diabetes and limb loss, amputation, prosthetics, and the ACA Peer Visitor program, please contact the nonprofit organization Amputee Coalition of America at 888/267-5669 or visit them at Amputee-Coalition.org.

I know that you love your dad. And may God bless you to always love him. Because when they act like stubborn jackasses, resentment can come into your heart. Tell your father the truth, cut it or it will kill you. Now if decides cutting is out, then death is in. Prepare yourself for his departure. No one is worth the stress for their mess.

Jana, your foot is not worth your whole life. It is hard to think about losing a body part though, for sure. At times IV antibiotics and maybe hyperbaric oxygen can salvage a limb - might be an option for either you or the OPs dad. People who do choose not to amputate when nothing else is going to work can die of sepsis and gangrene, sometimes in relatively short order.

I know that you love your dad. And may God bless you to always love him. Because when they act like stubborn jackasses, resentment can come into your heart. Tell your father the truth, cut it or it will kill you. Now if decides cutting is out, then death is in. Prepare yourself for his departure. No one is worth the stress for their mess.

I am facing losing my foot i am just 30 it makes me whole right now i rather die with it then lose a big part of me people can say what they want but try being them its very hard i am going though it n understands

aging,

I imagine that the Dr.'s want to amputate to save his life. I'm sure that the Dr.'s have told him this. Your dad must be in a lot of pain as well. He's probably on strong antibiotics too. Despite all these measures the infection will most likely spread to his blood which would cause your dad to die of sepsis, a massive infection.

I'm sure the Dr.'s have told your dad all of this. Is your dad able to make healthcare decisions on his own?

My mother-in-law was 65 and already had had 2 toes removed when the ulcer on her foot would not heal. They recommended amputation, she refused. Said she wanted to die with her feet on and they were not cutting anything else off. And less than a month later she died.