Atlas of Surgical Techniques in Trauma: Lower extremity amputations

Background:Tissue loss or gangrene in the setting of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) may result in amputation. Previous studies have demonstrated elevated mortality rates after major transtibial and transfemoral amputation. Also, amputation of 1 leg may be associated with subsequent major amputation of the contralateral leg. The aim of our study was to identify patient variables associated with mortality and contralateral amputation.Methods:We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent transfemoral or transtibial amputation secondary to PAD from 2004 to 2009. A total of 454 consecutive major amputations were performed on 391 patients, with 63 of these having a subsequent contralateral amputation. Standard demographic information, comorbidities, prior vascular interventions, and relevant procedural information were extracted from patient records. Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival were calculated. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of death and contral...