All major amputations of the lower limb due to occlusive arterial disease were studied prospectively and consecutively during one year in the 5 hospitals in MalmOhus county, Sweden. The patients were followed for 6 months after the primary amputation of which 136 were through the tibia, 6 through the knee and 35 through the femur. One hundred and seventy-seven patients (92 men and 85 women) were included; 49% were 80 years or older and 40% were diabetic. At 6 months, 85 of the surviving 109 patients had healed stumps, 10 were not healed and 14 had been revised or reamputated. Half the survivors used a prosthesis daily. There was no significant difference in healing related to sex, age, diabetes or the level of amputation, but diabetics were more often bilateral amputees. The mortality at 6 months was 38% and at 4 years 72%.
R6sum6. Toutes les amputations majeures des membres infdrieurs, motivdes par des maladies vasculaires, ont dtd dtudides de fafon prospective clans la rdgion de MalmO (Suede). Les cinq hopitaux de la rdgion ont ~t~ inclus dans l'dtude pendant un an.
Aprbs l'amputation, les malades ont dt6 suivis pendant 6 mois. La mortalitd a dtd enregistr(e jusqu'?~ la 4brae annde post-opdratoire. 177 patients ont subi des amputations majeures (92 hommes et 85 femmes), gt savoir 136 amputations de jambe, 6 ddsarticulations du genou et 35 amputations de cuisse. Durant cette mOme pdriode 302 operations de chirurgie vasculaire des membres infdrieurs ont dtd rda-lis6es dans la r~gion. L'incidence des amputations a dtd de 34 pour 100000 habitants, par an. 49% des malades avaient 80 ans et plus, 40% dtaient diab6ti-