EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LEG AMPUTATION - THE INFLUENCE OF VASCULAR-SURGERY

The number of amputations performed for vascular disease in Denmark has decreased from 1777 (34.5 per 100000 population) in 1983 to 1288 (25.0 per 100000) in 1990, a reduction of 28 per cent. This decline coincided with an increase in vascular surgical activity of up to 100 per cent, including a marked rise in the rate of femorodistal reconstruction. Moreover, regional variation in vascular surgical activity correlated with percentage reduction in amputation rate (r(s) = 0.65, P< 0.01). The relative number of above-knee amputations also decreased in favour of more distal levels during the period studied, These findings suggest that vascular surgery may be responsible for the lower amputation rate.