1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: There is a worrying rise in amputations amongst diabetes patients 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: at the moment. Figures show that there's been a fifty 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: percent increase in amputations since twenty sixteen, with over one 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: thy two hundred lower limb amputations conducted just last year. 5 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Simon Spate is a p diatrist and head of the 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: Diabetes Special Interest Group at p Dietary, New Zealand. Hey, Simon, hi. 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 2: Here, how are you well? Thanks? All true? What you say? 8 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: Oh, thank you And you didn't even have to text 9 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: end to say first off the blocks, thank you, Simon. Now, Simon, 10 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: how is it getting to the point where people are 11 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: having to have I mean, they presumably know they've got diabetes. 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: How are they having to have amputations done well? 13 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: Amputation just means to cut around or literally prune, and 14 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: as you say, this is what's going on. But when 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: they're diagnosed, the GPS always and all the other health 16 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: professionals are trying to educate them from their sphere of practice. 17 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: They're trying to get good control of the diabetes. It's 18 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: the sugar levels, the blood pressure, the cholesterol. Just start 19 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 2: with those three for a kicker, and they're just trying 20 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: to get those levels sorted out right from the get go, 21 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 2: because if they let any of those proceed twenty thirty 22 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 2: forty years later down the track, that's when these things 23 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: can happen. I'm talking about the type twos, which is 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: about ninety five percent of the diabetes population. That's the 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 2: one where this HiT's really bad. 26 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: Okay, So when we talk about amputations, we obviously go 27 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: to the worst place in our minds. But you're saying 28 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: it can just be a trimming of a bit of flesh. 29 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: Well, you can just take a toe off and the 30 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: patient leads a damn good life. The the circulation can 31 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: pack up in a small toe and so it's a 32 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: really good operation. And so it's not all doom and 33 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: gloom for amputations. They call them minor amputations, but they 34 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: can and often are very successful. 35 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: Do you guys do it yourself's pediatrists? 36 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: No, No, But we are the steps so to get 37 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: the hospitals are the pediatrists in the hospital or the 38 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: DHB or THEATU order around the country. They're the ones 39 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: that will rein them into the surgical teams and sometimes 40 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: a lot of the time the surgeons are on site 41 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: and they have regular meetings monthly or week or whatever, 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: so that they can send them their way for an 43 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 2: opinion and treatment. 44 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: Now, I mean, we've been speaking quite a lot lately 45 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: about the postcode lottery, but it seems to me this 46 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: may be another case of it, and that's in some 47 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: parts of the country. And I'm thinking, you know, South 48 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: and Gisbon they have fewer than five pediatrists for the 49 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: whole region. So is that causing a bit of a 50 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: problem there. 51 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: Look, there's always going to be resourcing and funding in 52 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: various areas that you can't get right. Helen Clark once 53 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 2: said you can never throw enough money at the health vote. 54 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: So if you're listening Auntie Helen, it's still correct. 55 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: Longtime listener of the show, actually, Simon, thank you very 56 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: much man, it's really lovely to talk to you. Look 57 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: after yourself. Simon Spake, pediatrist and head of the Diabetes 58 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: special Interest group at p Dietary New Zealand. For more 59 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: from Heather Duplessye Allan Drive listen live to news Talks 60 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: it'd be from four pm week or follow the podcast 61 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.