Short summary

Major amputations of the lower extremities are, usually performed in elderly patients with untreatable vascular disease, diabetes or a combination of both. This fragile group of patients are characterized by a high degree of comorbidity, mortality and both surgical and postoperative complications; included herein problems with wound healing. Recent retrospective studies show that Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) may have beneficial effects on incisional healing.

Rationale

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a NPWT system on the healing of the surgical wound following lower limb amputation

Description of the cohort

The plan is to enroll up to 160 patients undergoing transfemoral- transtibial amputation or knee disarticulation, for non-traumatic- or malignant indications

Data and biological material

Clinical Baseline Data, Incidence of any postoperative wound complications at 5 days, 2+3+6 weeks including: dehiscence (skin or fascia), seroma, lymph leak, infection (deep or superficial), hematoma, ischemia and necrosis (primary end-point) and incidence of revision surgery & re-amputation (secondary end-point)

Collaborating researchers and departments

Orthopedic Dept. Regional Hospital of Southern Denmark

• Lars Grau Lykkeberg
• Jesper Ougaard Schønnemann
• Kirsten Specht
• Nefise Sadiku

Orthopedic Dept. Lillebaelt Hospital,

• Hanne Metha Popp

Orthopedic Dept. Hospital of South West Jutland

• Annie Primdahl

Odense University Hospital Orthopedic Oncology, infection and amputations

• Tine Nymark