Lower-extremity amputations for ischemia
J. M. Porter, G. M. Baur and L. M. Taylor Jr
During the past eight years, we performed 312 lower-extremity amputations
for ischemia. Amputation requiring no prosthesis was achieved in 31% of
patients, knee joint preservation in 72%, and overall primary amputation
healing in 75%. Amputation mortality was 6%. The use of prior arterial
reconstruction, careful wound care, and willingness to accept nonhealing of
trial amputations were important factors in obtaining the most distal
possible healed amputation. An accurate evaluation of the impact of new
methods of selecting amputation level and evaluating amputation results can
only be achieved by a report of the total institutional amputation
experience, not by reports of a single type of amputation.
