Patterns and Causes of Amputation in Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia: A Three-Year Experience

BACKGROUND: Amputation is a surgical procedure for the removal of a limb which is indicated when limb recovery is impossible. There are different types of amputation, and their causes can vary from one area to the other. Therefor, the aim of this study is to find out the patterns and causes of amputations in patients presented to Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia. METHODS: the record of 87 patients who had amputation at different sites after admission to Ayder referral hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia in three years period were reviewed retrospectively. RESULT: A total of 87 patients had amputation of which 78.2% were males. The age range was from 3 to 95 years, and the mean age was 40.6 in years. The most common indications were trauma (37.7%), tumor (24.1%), and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (20.7%). The commonest type of amputation was major lower limb amputation (58.6%) which includes above knee amputation (35.6%) and below knee amputation (23%) followed by digital amputation (17.2%). There was 11.4% major upper limb amputation of which there was one patient who had re-amputation. CONCLUSION: Most of the indications for amputations in our setup are potentially preventable by increasing awareness in the society on safety measures both at home and at work and early presentation to health facilities.