09/01/2026
San Antonio, TX — Diabetic Foot Update (DFUpdate), organised by ALPS and UT Health San Antonio, is one of the most respected legacy meetings in diabetic foot care and convenes in San Antonio on December 5-6, 2026. The 2026 edition of the conference will shine a spotlight on peripheral artery disease (PAD), a complex and often under‑recognized contributor to limb loss in people with diabetes.
By convening leaders across podiatry, vascular surgery, wound care, endocrinology, and allied specialties, DFUpdate serves as a dynamic forum for advancing clinical practice and improving patient outcomes.
“We are very proud to help lead the way in putting the spotlight on this massive and complex challenge in limb preservation,” said Georgia Krehbiel, MBA, CEO of ALPS.
As part of ALPS’ expanding portfolio of global educational initiatives, DFUpdate reinforces the organization’s mission to advance multidisciplinary education and innovation in limb preservation worldwide.
Krehbiel adds:
“For ALPS, this is yet another example of how we continue to scale with purpose. This year we are increasing our program with workshops on how to create your own limb preservation program. So yes, I’m especially excited for this year’s Diabetic Foot Update.”
DFUpdate was originally led by Professor Lawrence B. Harkless from 1984 to 2007 and remains a landmark meeting in diabetic foot care.
A Scientific Program Designed to Challenge and Connect
DFUpdate 2026 offers a robust, evidence‑driven scientific program designed to challenge traditional assumptions, elevate clinical dialogue, and foster collaboration across the continuum of care.
“DFUpdate is designed to challenge clinical assumptions, connect specialties across the continuum of care, and give participants practical tools they can use when they return to clinic on Monday. With this year’s focus on PAD, a leading contributor to diabetes-related amputation, clinicians will have the opportunity to explore innovative strategies for some of the most difficult limb-salvage scenarios, including patients previously considered ‘no-option’ cases,” said Dr. Lee C. Rogers, Chair of DFUpdate and Chief of Podiatry at UT Health San Antonio.
Through case‑based discussions, emerging research, and practical strategies, participants will engage with the latest advances in limb preservation and PAD management while building meaningful professional connections.
Course Directors – quotes
DFUpdate 2026 is led by an internationally recognized team of clinicians and educators whose work has shaped modern limb preservation practice.
Lee C. Rogers, DPM, FFPM RCPS (Glasg)
Chair, Professor and Chief of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
“DFUpdate is designed to challenge clinical assumptions, connect specialties across the continuum of care, and give participants practical tools they can use when they return to clinic on Monday. With this year’s focus on PAD, a leading contributor to diabetes-related amputation, clinicians will have the opportunity to explore innovative strategies for some of the most difficult limb-salvage scenarios, including patients previously considered ‘no-option’ cases.” said Dr. Lee C. Rogers, Chair of DFUpdate and Chief of Podiatry at UT Health San Antonio.
Lawrence A. Lavery, DPM, MPH, Chair
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
“At the Diabetic Foot Update, we want you to do more than attend. We want you to participate. Bring your most complex cases, engage with our faculty, and join discussions focused on real-world solutions to difficult clinical problems. This interactive format is what makes DFUpdate different. Participants should expect to be challenged, to contribute, and to leave with practical new strategies for managing limb-threatening complications, including PAD in patients with diabetes, said Lawrence A. Lavery, DPM, MPH, Chair of DFUpdate and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Orthopaedics at UT Health San Antonio.
Joseph L. Mills, MD, FACS
Co‑Chair, Baylor College of Medicine
“Guidelines are important because they synthesize the best available evidence, but their real value is realized only when they improve decision-making at the bedside,” said Joseph L. Mills, MD, FACS, Co-Chair of DFUpdate and Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “As vascular surgeons, we see every day how PAD changes the trajectory of a patient’s limb, function, and survival, particularly in patients with diabetes. DFUpdate brings national expertise into a practical, case-based forum where clinicians can translate evidence, guidelines, and technical advances into better care for complex patients. That is where meaningful progress in limb preservation happens.”
David Bastawros, DPM, CWSP
Co‑Chair, Baylor Scott & White – The Heart Hospital
“Successful wound care and limb salvage require more than an individual clinician. They require a coordinated team with shared goals, clear communication, and the ability to move quickly when a limb is at risk,” said David Bastawros, DPM, CWSP, Co-Chair of DFUpdate; Regional Medical Director for Limb Preservation and Wound Care at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospitals; and System Chair of Baylor Scott & White Health Wound Care Committee. “Overseeing programs across 55 facilities has reinforced that outcomes improve when podiatry, vascular surgery, interventional cardiology, wound care, infectious disease, nursing, and other disciplines work together rather than in silos. DFUpdate emphasizes that team-based model and gives participants practical strategies they can adapt within their own hospitals, clinics, and health systems.”
Conference Objectives
At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to:
- Identify updated information to improve patient care in limb preservation
- Explain new techniques for interdisciplinary collaboration and communication to ensure best practices in patient care, education, and research
- Apply quality improvement strategies in limb preservation
- Utilize updated diagnostic and treatment approaches related to limb preservation diseases
- Outline emerging techniques, studies, and innovative approaches related to patient care, medical knowledge, practice‑based learning, and system‑based practice
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities Opportunities
We are currently accepting sponsorship applications for DFUpdate 2026.
The American Limb Preservation Society and DFU are pleased to collaborate with innovative corporate partners who understand the importance and sense of urgency for patients living with the risk of amputation due to diabetic foot complications. These are companies that put patient care and outcomes at the forefront of what they do.
For more information, please visit:
https://limbpreservationsociety.org/dfu/sponsorship-exhibition/
About ALPS
The American Limb Preservation Society (ALPS) is dedicated to advancing the science, clinical care, advocacy, and education of limb preservation. Through global collaborations and conferences like DFCon and DFUpdate, ALPS leads a multidisciplinary charge to eliminate preventable amputations and improve outcomes for patients around the world.
Media Contact for further inquiries:
Signe Sten Holst
ALPS Social Media & Communications Manager
ssh@cap-partner.eu