Diabetes foot experts head to King’s for international summit

13 October 2025 - Two-day event aims to help reduce major amputations among patients with diabetes

Leading specialists at King’s will meet with clinicians, researchers, and advocates who are dedicated to preventing and managing diabetes-related foot complications and reducing lower-limb amputations at a major international conference.

Over 300 delegates will gather in London on 14 – 15 October 2025 for the 11th King’s International Summit on Modern Surgical Reconstruction and Multidisciplinary Care of the Diabetic Foot.

Sessions will focus on the latest cutting edge developments in modern podiatric care, including treating infection, plastic surgical construction techniques, and innovations in Charcot foot reconstruction.

Maria Niemis has lived with diabetes for over 20 years, and underwent a Charcot foot reconstruction at King’s, repairing damaged tissue and restoring function after she developed a serious infection in the skin and underlying bones of her foot. She explained: “What began as painful swelling and a feeling of pins and needles in my foot became a life-threatening infection. I was taken to hospital where I was treated for sepsis, and I will be forever grateful to the team who helped me fight the infection, and saved my life.

“I was told that my foot was very unlikely to recover, and amputation might be the best option for me. But after I spoke with Professor Michael Edmonds, Professor Venu Kavarthapu and the team at the diabetic foot clinic at King’s, they explained I did in fact have the option of reconstructive surgery to save my foot and return to a normal life again. It was a long road to recovery, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of community nurses, and the terrific team at King’s who went above and beyond to give me back my mobility and independence.”

Professor Venu Kavarthapu, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at King’s, added: “Over the past 18 years, our team has developed and refined a series of novel surgical techniques and treatment protocols for diabetic foot deformity corrections that can help patients with very complex cases, such as Maria. The first stage of Maria’s surgery involved radical debridement and removal of all infected bone, followed by a second-stage reconstruction two months later using a complex circular frame construct to rebuild the foot and leg. This innovative staged approach has saved thousands of patients from limb amputation, and remains a cornerstone of modern reconstructive diabetic foot surgery.”

Professor Michael Edmonds, consultant diabetologist at King’s College Hospital, created the world’s first dedicated multidisciplinary diabetic foot service at King’s 44 years ago, laying the foundations for the model of care for foot services all over the world. He said: “Diabetic foot disease can have a huge impact on patients’ lives. Many people are often unable to work, lose their ability to perform hobbies and socialise, and are committed to regular hospital visits. In some cases, prior to their referral to King’s, patients were told that amputation was the only option available to them.

“We have always believed that there is another way, and that limb salvage is possible even in the most complex of cases. At the 11th King’s International Summit, we hope to demonstrate that there are options for reconstruction and limb salvage, helping people with diabetes lead a normal life.”