Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Ana-Catarina Pinho-Gomes
University Hospital of South Manchester, UK
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Background: Above Knee Amputation (AKA) is a last-resort operation with high post-operative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing AKA for lower limb ischaemia. Methods: Medical records of all the patients who underwent AKA for limb-threatening ischaemia between the 1st September 2014 and the 31st December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were followed-up until 31st January 2016. Results: A total of 65 patients (33 male; median age 75 [IQR 65-82] years) were included. 54 were treated for critical limb ischaemia, and the remainder for acute ischaemia. Hypertension, ischaemia heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus were common (prevalence of 71%, 37%, 40% and 47%, respectively). Median length of stay was 27 [IQR 17-56] days and the proportion of patients requiring long-term residential care significantly increased from admission to discharge (p=0.005). In-hospital mortality was 17% (11 patients), in all cases due to septic complications, most commonly from respiratory and wound sources. 90-day mortality was 30% (19 patients). Heart failure (OR8.9 95%CI 2.1-36.8; p=0.003) and eGFR<30 (OR11.9 95%CI 1.4-101.6; p=0.023) were independent predictors for 90-day mortality. At a median follow-up of 7.5 [IQR 2-16] months, all-cause mortality was 38% (25 patients) and median survival was 60 [IQR 29-102] days. Conclusions: AKA performed for limb-threatening ischaemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality and hence, it imposes a major health-care burden. Patients with renal impairment and heart failure on admission have a significantly increased mortality risk.
Ana-Catarina Pinho-Gomes has completed her MSc in Medicine as well as in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology from the University of Porto, Portugal. She has been training in UK since then and is currently a Cardiothoracic Surgery trainee in Manchester. She has already won over 25 academic prizes and published 8 papers in reputed journals. She is member of the leading committees like Association of Surgeons in Training and the Cardiothoracic Trainees Research Collaborative. Besides translational and clinical research in Cardiovascular Medicine, she is keen on teaching and she is doing a MSc in Medical Education at the University of Liverpool.