CHIN-HSIAO TSENGTONG-YUAN TAIChen C.J.Lin B.J.2020-06-012020-06-0119940929-6646https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0028431634&partnerID=40&md5=70fd60a90610e18c2fd3b3eb85515679https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/496238The clinical characteristics of 234 amputees admitted to the National Taiwan University Hospital during a 10-year period were analyzed. Diabetes mellitus accounted for 37.2% (87 cases) of the amputations and was the most commonly associated disease. Malignancy was the second cause of amputation (16.2%). Traffic accidents and atherosclerosis (without diabetes mellitus) each accounted for about 13% of the amputations. Below-knee amputation was the most commonly performed procedure among the diabetics, while above-knee, below-knee and ray amputations were roughly equally performed among non-diabetic patients. Reamputations were done in 16 diabetic and 12 non-diabetic patients, mostly within a short period of time after the first amputation. Four of the diabetic reamputations and nine of the non-diabetic reamputations were performed on the same side as the first amputation. The mean +/- standard error of admission days and total expenses for each episode of amputation were 36.2 +/- 2.7 days and 116.5 +/- 1.7 thousand New Taiwan dollars for the non-diabetics and 41.3 +/- 4.0 days and 134.0 +/- 16.0 thousand New Taiwan dollars for the diabetics, respectively. We concluded that: 1) diabetes mellitus was the main cause of amputation; 2) diabetes mellitus was associated with a higher rate of reamputations of the contralateral legs; and 3) a multidisciplinary foot-care team is essential for the management of lower leg amputations.[SDGs]SDG3adult; aged; amputation; arteriosclerosis; article; chi square distribution; classification; diabetes mellitus; human; leg; middle aged; prospective study; reoperation; statistics; Taiwan; thromboembolism; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amputation; Arteriosclerosis; Chi-Square Distribution; Diabetes Complications; Humans; Leg; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Reoperation; Taiwan; Thromboembolismjournal article79200772-s2.0-0028431634