Purulent-Necrotic Complications after Amputation of the Lower Extremities: Issues of Treatment and Prevention

Transfemoral amputation of a limb performed by a patient with obliterating atherosclerosis with irreversible ischemia is a difficult, traumatic operation and is accompanied by high mortality. High mortality after amputation of a limb at the hip level is associated with the severity of the general condition of patients and complications of the postoperative period. As our studies have shown, the most common complication after limb amputation is an infection of the femoral stump wound, its development is directly related to metabolic disorders in patients, a decrease in the immune status, ischemia of the stump tissues and foci of secondary infection. The clinical picture of infection of the femoral stump wound is variable. It depends, first, on the patient’s general condition, the process’s spread, the trophism of the stump tissues, and the nature of the microflora. Improving the treatment results of patients who have undergone limb amputation is possible by performing all the necessary preventive measures regarding ischemia and stump infection in the prescribed volume and the development of infectious complications, as well as treatment by the requirements of modern purulent surgery.