Major Lower Limb Amputations: Recognizing Pitfalls
Lemuel Pran, Dave Harnanan, Shanta Baijoo, Andy Short, Cristo Cave, Ravi Maharaj, Shamir O Cawich, Vijay Naraynsingh
Abstract
/year. Males accounted for 59% of cases, and 60% of amputations were done above the level of the knee joint. The most common reason for amputation was control of sepsis in 71.5% of cases. A strong association between major amputations and prior intervention for a foot-related problem was observed, as 52% of the sample had a pre-existing wound or a prior minor amputation (32%). Overall, 14.5% of all amputees were able to acquire a prosthesis. Diabetes mellitus was the most consistently associated co-morbidity occurring in 91% of the study population. Major limb amputations continue to affect our population significantly, with a rise in the amputation rate despite the introduction of a Vascular Surgical Unit. Diabetes and its foot-related complications are one of the leading causes of major lower extremity amputations. Prosthetic limb acquisition for our amputee population continues to be lacking, reflected by the low prosthetic acquisition rate observed.