Is amputation in the elderly patient with critical limb ischemia acceptable in the long term?

• Published in: Clinical interventions in aging Vol. 14; pp. 1177 - 1185
• Main Authors: Peters, Chloé Ml, de Vries, Jolanda, Veen, Eelco J, de Groot, Hans Gw, Ho, Gwan H, Lodder, Paul, Steunenberg, Stijn L, van der Laan, Lijckle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.07.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amputation; Amputation - psychology; Amputees - psychology; Cohort Studies; Critical Limb Ischemia; Decision making; Depression (Mood disorder); Elderly patients; Epidemiology; Female; Frail Elderly; Health; Health Status; Health surveys; Hospitals; Humans; Ischemia; Ischemia - psychology; Ischemia - surgery; Limb Salvage - psychology; Lower Extremity - surgery; Male; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Mental depression; Mobility Limitation; Mortality; Netherlands; Older people; Original Research; Patients; Population; Prospective Studies; Public health; Quality of Life; Quality of Life - psychology; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Success; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Systematic review; Treatment Outcome; Netherlands; health status; amputation; frail elderly; critical limb ischemia; quality of life
• ISSN: 1178-1998; 1176-9092; 1178-1998
• DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S206446

Despite high amputation rates, data on patient-reported outcomes is scarce in the elderly population with critical limb ischemia. The aim of this study was to provide mortality rates and long-term changes of the following patient-reported outcomes in elderly critical limb ischemia amputees: quality of life (QoL), health status (HS), and symptoms of depression. In this prospective observational cohort study, amputated critical limb ischemia patients ≥70 years were included. The follow-up period was two years. Within the follow-up period patients completed the following questionnaires: the World Health Organization Quality Of Life -abbreviated version of the WHOQOL 100 (WHOQOL-BREF), the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. A total of 49 elderly patients with critical limb ischemia had undergone major limb amputation within two years after inclusion. In these patients, the one-year mortality rate was 39% and the two-year mortality rate was 55%. The physical QoL was the only domain of the WHOQOL-BREF that improved significantly across time after amputation (p≤0.001). In the long-term, there was no difference in the ability to enjoy life (p=0.380) or the satisfaction in performing daily living activities (p=0.231) compared to the scores of the general elderly population. After amputation, the physical HS domain (p≤0.001) and the mental HS domain (p=0.002) improved. In the first year, amputees experienced less symptoms of depression (p=0.004). Elderly critical limb ischemia amputees are a fragile population with high mortality rates. Their QoL and HS increased after major limb amputation as compared to the baseline situation and they experienced less symptoms of depression. Moreover, our results show that, in the long-term, major limb amputation in the elderly patients with critical limb ischemia shows an acceptable QoL, which, in some aspects, is comparable to the QoL of their peers. These results can improve the shared-decision making process that does not delay the timing of major limb amputation.