Keep the Legs You Stand On - Lessons in Diabetes & Amputation Prevention | Ep 31 | Fountain of Vitality

Every 20 seconds, somewhere on this planet, a person loses a limb to diabetes. Most of them had a foot ulcer first. Most of that ulcer was preventable. And most of those people had no idea any of it was coming until they took off a sock, found a stain, and realized they were looking at a wound they had never felt forming. That is not a failure of willpower. It is the result of a system that was never designed to catch problems before they become crises.In this episode of Fountain of Vitality, host LaMont Leavitt sits down with Dr. Mark Hinkes, a retired podiatrist with 42 years of clinical experience and former chair of the Preservation Amputation Care and Treatment Program in the VA Medical System. Dr. Hinkes breaks down the three-part chain that produces a diabetic foot ulcer, why 85% of lower extremity amputations are preceded by one, and what happens when the system skips the vascular evaluation that could have prevented the surgery. He also details the decision-support software he is building to put standardized foot risk assessments into primary care offices, run by nursing staff, without requiring physician involvement.Healthy Feet for People with Diabetes by Dr. Mark Hinkes (available on Amazon). To connect with him directly or learn more about his work in amputation prevention, reach him at [email protected] or on LinkedIn(@MarkHinkesDPM). Listen to this episode on the Fountain of Vitality podcast at FountainofVitality.com. If this episode changed the way you think about diabetes and foot health, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you've been enjoying the show, a review on your podcast platform helps more people find it.Follow the Fountain of Vitality podcast: Website: FountainofVitality.com | Tiktok: @FountainofVitalitypod | YouTube: @FountainofVitalityshow | Tumblr: @FountainofVitality | Facebook: FountainofVitalityShow | Rumble: Fountain_of_Vitality| Instagram: @FountainofVitalitypodcast | Email: [email protected] LaMont Leavitt: LinkedIn: @LaMontJLeavitt/ | Twitter/X: @ljleavitt1 |InnoviHealth Website: innoviHealth.comFollow Dr. Mark Hinkes, DPM: LinkedIn: @MarkHinkesDPM | Email: [email protected]. Mark Hinkes, DPM, is a retired, board-certified podiatrist with 42 years of clinical experience. He served as Chief of Podiatry and chair of the Preservation Amputation Care and Treatment Program in the VA Medical System, where he reduced amputations by 40% and healthcare costs by 62%. Now retired, he consults, speaks, and is developing decision-support software to bring standardized diabetic foot risk assessment into primary care offices worldwide.