INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES OF LIMB AMPUTATION. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PREVENT? A SINGLE CENTER STUDY

This study was conducted to identify the causes of limb amputation and to assess the preventability of amputations. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sivas Cumhuriyet University Application and Research Hospital, covering individuals who underwent limb amputation between 01.01.2012 and 30.08.2022. The dependent variable in our study is the occurrence of amputations. The independent variables include the time period, the demographic characteristics of the patients (age, gender), the organ amputated, and the cause of amputation. A total of 746 amputation procedures were performed on 425 patients. Of the patients, 72.5% were male. The average age was 65.5±22.2 years, with a median age of 69.0 years. When the distribution of patients by age groups was examined, individuals aged 80 and above accounted for 31.5% of all patients. Of the amputations performed, 38.4% were due to vascular diseases, 26.8% were caused by trauma, and 25.9% (were related to diabetes. The most common sites of amputation were the right foot toes (16.0%,) and the left foot toes (13.6%). Re-amputation was performed in 113 patients (26.5%). Of the male patients who underwent amputation, 55.5% were aged 65 and above. The leading causes of amputation in men were vascular diseases, trauma, and diabetes. Among female patients, 70.1% were aged 65 and above. In women, the most frequent causes of amputation were vascular diseases, diabetes, and trauma. When the diagnosis was compared with gender, vascular diseases were found to be the most common cause of amputation in both genders. Analysis of the relationship between age groups and diagnoses revealed that as age increased, the rate of amputations related to vascular diseases and diabetes also increased. Limb amputations are largely associated with preventable health issues, and their rates can be reduced through early diagnosis, regular follow-up, and appropriate treatment strategies.