Opinion: There’s a surprisingly easy way to avoid a huge number of major amputations
In one study, researchers were able to avoid leg amputation in 75% of chronic limb-threatening ischemia patients.
More than 400 Americans undergo major amputation of a leg, either above or below the knee, every day. Many of them suffer from what’s known as chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), a form of peripheral artery disease that narrows people’s arteries.
At my health system, we perform about 70 major amputations every year for CLTI. Amputation can save the lives of patients with CLTI, but it brings with it a lifetime of disability, emotional distress, social burden, and increased health care costs — burdens that don’t fall equitably. Recent data show evidence of persistent disparities when it comes to major amputation. Residents of rural areas, African-American and Native American patients, and those of low socioeconomic status are all more likely than others to undergo the life-changing surgery.
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