Incidence of major lower limb amputation in Geneva: twenty-one years of observation
Carmona, G.A.; Lacraz, A.; Hoffmeyer, P.; Assal, M.
Revue Medicale Suisse 10(447): 1997-8 2000-1
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 1660-9379 PMID: 25518211 Document Number: 676615
Between 1990 and 2010 the incidence of major lowerlimb amputations (by definition any level of amputation above the foot) in the canton of Geneva was 10.02 per 100,000 inhabitants/ year. The analysis of various population groups revealed that the presence of diabetes increased the relative risk of amputation by a factor of 20, and age 65 years or older by a factor of 9. During this 21 years period we observed a gradual decline in the incidence of amputation and an increased age at the time of amputation, despite the increasing prevalence of diabetes and an aging population. This was a reflection on the efforts of primary and secon- dary prevention, initiated in the 1980s in which Geneva was a pioneer.