Amputation for peripheral vascular disease: experience of a district general hospital.

Two hundred and ninety major lower-limb amputations were performed on 286 patients during the period 1969-79. The early mortality rate was 6.9%. The mean age of the amputees was 70.2 (range 35-91) years. The commonest site for amputation was above the knee (77.2%). Failure to obtain immediate satisfactory healing of the stump occurred in 18.4% and reamputation was required in 5.6%. The hospital mortality rate was 25.5%. Routine prophylactic penicillin was not given. One patient developed gas gangrene.