PATTERN OF UPPER AND LOWER LIMB AMPUTATIONS AMONG PATIENTS PRESENTING TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF MAYO HOSPITAL, LAHORE

Background &Objective: Limb amputation is a surgery performed for the removal of a limb. It is indicatedwhen the recovery of limb is impossible due to certain conditions. There are different types of amputations,and their causes, pattern, and levels can vary from one area to the other. The objective of this study was toassess the pattern of upper and lower limb amputations among patients presenting to Emergency Departmentof Mayo Hospital, Lahore.Methods: This retrospective study was executed at the Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from 2018 to 2020. Atotal of100 patients were included in the study. These individuals had undergone upper or lower limb amputationsdue to trauma or mechanical injuries. Data was taken from hospital records and entered in SPSS version 25.Descriptive statistics were used to assess the pattern of amputations. Chi-square test was used to see theassociation between gender and limb involvement, and p≤0.05 was considered significant.Results: The mean age of participants was 42.7 ± 9.5 years. 75% patients were male and 25% female. 78%cases of amputations were performed because of road traffic accidents, whereas, 22% were due to mechanicalinjuries. Lower limb amputations were more common (60%) than upper limb amputations (40%). The mostfrequent levels of amputations were below-knee (58.3%) and below-elbow (62.5%). The mean MangledExtremity Severity Score (MESS) was 7.8 ± 0.57. There was no statistically significant association betweengender and type of limb amputated (p = 0.34).Conclusion: Trauma remains the leading cause of limb amputation in emergency settings in Pakistan, withyoung to middle-aged males most affected. Lower limb amputations are more prevalent, and below-jointamputations are more common due to efforts to preserve limb function. These findings highlight the need forimproved trauma prevention, early intervention, and development of a national amputation registry to informhealthcare planning and rehabilitation services.