Influencing factors of outcome after lower-limb amputation: a five-year review in a plastic surgical department.
The crude major lower limb amputation procedure rate is 8.8 per 100,000 of the population per year in Taiwan. From January 2002 to October 2006, patients that received major lower limb amputation in our department were enrolled in this study. Retrospective chart reviews concerning different factors that can affect the eventual postoperative functional status were investigated. Factors that affected the length of hospital stay included duration before amputation (P < 0.001) and renal function (P = 0.045). Phantom limb pain was affected by wound healing time (P = 0.006). Factors that affected the daily prosthesis usage time were initial infection status (P = 0.021), renal function (P = 0.01), patient educational level (P = 0.016), and pretraining waiting time (P = 0.003). The duration of prosthetic training was affected by patient educational level (P = 0.004) and marital status (P = 0.024). In addition, subjective satisfaction about the usage of prosthesis was affected by pretraining waiting time (P = 0.001) and daily prosthesis usage time (P < 0.001). The daily prosthesis usage time was closely related to life quality improvement (P < 0.001) and subjective satisfaction of prosthesis usage (P < 0.001). Despite reported unchangeable factors like age, end-stage renal disease, dementia, coronary artery disease, and level of amputation, preprosthesis training waiting time significantly affected the satisfaction and daily usage time of the prosthesis. Surgeons can make some contribution to accelerate amputation wound healing and stump maturation by choosing the correct operating procedure, delicately managing the soft tissue, and ascertaining proper wound care to improve the outcome.
Chen
Meng-Chum
MC
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Lee
Su-Shin
SS
Hsieh
Ya-Lun
YL
Wu
Shu-Jung
SJ
Lai
Chung-Sheng
CS
Lin
Sin-Daw
SD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000672:Amputation Stumps / Q000601:surgery; D001186:Artificial Limbs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003646:Debridement; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000601:surgery; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010591:Phantom Limb / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing