Lower Leg Amputation

Statistics show in the United States, infected foot ulcers are the most frequent admitting diagnosis for hospitalization of patients with diabetes. In 2003, there were about 111,000 hospital discharges for lower extremity ulcers. There are more than 90,000 lower extremity amputation procedures performed on patients with diabetes in the U.S. annually, which equates to one every six minutes. The mortality rate after amputations is about 40% at one year and 80% at five years. Five-year mortality rates after new-onset diabetic ulceration are between 43% and 55% and up to 74% for patients with lower-extremity amputation. These rates are higher than those for several types of cancer including prostate, breast, colon, and Hodgkin’s disease.
By Mark Hinkes, DPM