Primary and Revision Amputation Surgery in a Tertiary Institution in South West Nigeria

Background: Amputation is a common elective or emergency surgical procedure. We set out to study the cases undergoing amputation surgery with special interest of determining the prevalence rate of revision amputation surgery; its indication and trend among patients who had amputation surgery at a tertiary health facility.
Method: Study was cross sectional in design and retrospective in nature, conducted in a tertiary health facility selected purposively in a state, South West, Nigeria. Data collection was by reviewing the records of amputation surgery done at a tertiary health facility over a 15-year period (1996- 2010). Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 17, and statistical inferences made at p-value ≤0.05.
Results: A total of 124 amputations were done with 9 cases of revision amputation giving a prevalence rate of 7.25%. The commonest indication found for amputation surgery was trauma while it was ascending gangrene for revision amputation. Among those who had revision amputation done, 75% were diabetic while 22% had earlier refused consent for amputation at an appropriate site. An increasing trend in the prevalence of revision amputation was found. There was a statistically significant association between diabetic amputees and their having a revision amputation done with p =0.002.
Conclusion: Diabetic amputees are at a higher risk of a revision amputation. Counseling and appropriate diagnostic procedures is essential for prevention.