title: Major limb amputation in Ibadan.
abstract: A prospective study of patients who had major limb amputation at the University College Hospital Ibadan over a 5-year period is presented. One hundred and one major limb amputations were performed within this period (71 Males, 30 Females, M:F = 2.3:1). Trauma accounted for 48% of the cases followed by diabetes in 26%, soft tissue infection in 13% and tumours also in 13%. The major post-op complication was wound infection. In accordance with the findings in other centers, a higher proportion of the amputations (69%) were carried out in the lower limbs. Patient's refusal to accept amputation resulted in a delay in amputation in 49 patients. This delay (before surgery) ranged from 1 day to 150 days, with a mean of 15.49 (SD 9.V). From this study, we found that a reduction in vehicular accidents and increasing emphasis on efficient foot care (and glycaemic control) in the diabetic may significantly reduce the rate of amputations in our environment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Ogunlade
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Alonge
authors.forename: A B O
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Omololu
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Gana
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Salawu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005121:Extremities / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery