A few weeks ago, a remarkable special issue of Seminars in Vascular Surgery titled “Interdisciplinary Limb Preservation: What Every Vascular Surgeon Needs to Know” was released. Edited by Prof Dr. Ahmed Kayssi, Prof Dr. Samantha Minc, Dr. Caitlin Hicks (Editor-in-Chief), and Prof. Dr. David Armstrong, this must-read publication is more than just a journal—it’s a timely pulse check on where the limb preservation field is heading.
“It is a really, really wonderful resource. And, you know, it really all started at DFCon 2024, where the four of us got talking,” shares David Armstrong, ALPS Founding President.
When we asked Prof. Dr. Minc how she feels about the release, she shared: “Excited that we got it together!” and she continues, “DFCon is a special place where people dedicated to saving legs can find a home. The moment you enter the meeting, you know you’ve found your place as a medical professional and a scientist—that’s no mere feat (#feet).
The people who care about this issue are the best people in the world. Raising their voices and lighting the way for others who share this passion—but are still finding their footing—was extremely important to us. This is how DFCon inspired our issue.”
Prof Dr. Caitlin Hicks comments:
“The latest edition of Seminars in Vascular Surgery focuses on Interdisciplinary Limb Preservation. The Table of Contents was inspired by DFCON 2024, which was an amazing meeting filled with multidisciplinary perspectives, collaborations, and networking. Multidisciplinary care is critical for a successful limb salvage program in contemporary times. This issue of Seminars highlights the benefits of this paradigm, as well as practical management strategies for patients with diabetic foot ulcers in active treatment and remission. I am so proud of this issue, and very much enjoyed collaborating with Drs. Minc, Kayssi, and Armstrong to make it happen!”
DFCon’s Catalytic Role
Each year, DFCon in Anaheim, California—the Interdisciplinary Diabetic Foot Conference — brings together leading minds in diabetic foot care. The event is more than just a conference; DFCon is known for its dynamic, hands-on sessions and hallway conversations that transform into opportunities for practice-changing innovations.
Prof. Dr. Kayssi reflects:
“DFCon 2024 didn’t just inspire this issue—it ignited it. It was less a conference and more a catalytic combustion chamber. The energy, ideas, and hallway debates all fed directly into this issue. Samantha, Caitlin, and I simply held the funnel.
We’re thrilled with how it turned out—timely, relevant, and (we hope) just disruptive enough to keep the field on its toes… and flows.”
Global Voices, Shared Passion
Many of the submissions to the special issue were first presented at DFCon 2024, held in November in Anaheim. True to the global spirit of the conference, the issue’s contributors hail from around the world and represent a wide range of specialties—vascular surgeons, podiatrists, infectious disease experts, primary care providers, offloading and wound care specialists, and researchers. What unites them is a shared commitment to preventing amputations and improving quality of life.
Prof. Dr. Minc notes:
“What’s particularly unusual here is that we used an academic journal to provide real-world, patient-centered advice—practical guidance for providers across specialties to better care for people with diabetes and vascular disease.”
Prof. Dr. Kayssi adds:
“What makes this issue special isn’t just the science—it’s the synergy. It shows what happens when surgeons, podiatrists, researchers, and policy thinkers stop talking past each other and start writing in chorus.”
Georgia Krehbiel, CEO of ALPS, comments:
“We encourage everyone in our limb preservation community to explore this special issue. It stands as a significant resource and true laydown of the land for interdisciplinary care in limb preservation right now. And I feel confident the interdisciplinary (DF-)conversation will continue at DFCon 2025.”
DFCon 2025 will take place in Anaheim, California, on October 23–25, 2025—marking the 25th anniversary of this landmark conference.
ALPS Toe & Flow Resources
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Toe & Flow, visit the ALPS Toe & Flow Knowledge Hub—a curated section of the ALPS website offering top-tier educational resources on interdisciplinary limb preservation.🔗 Learn more here.