title: The role of the vascular laboratory in the management of major lower limb amputations.
abstract: Since the assumption that vascular laboratory data improves the predictability of below-knee (BK) amputation healing is largely based on retrospective studies, a comparison between the success rates of BK amputations was performed between two consecutive 50-month periods. During the first period the level of major lower limb amputations was determined by clinical judgement alone whereas during the second period analysed pressure data from a vascular laboratory was available. During the first period 16 out of 48 amputations (33%) failed whereas only 10 out of 60 amputations (17%) failed during the second period of the study. The results from this comparison suggest that vascular laboratory data can be used to improve the success rate in below-knee amputations.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Surgery, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepäntalo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000672:Amputation Stumps; D001775:Blood Circulation; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011674:Pulse; D014945:Wound Healing