Major lower extremity amputation in Veterans Affairs medical centers
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Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Standing Neurophysiological Assessment of Lower Extremity Muscles Post-Stroke
Published on: July 26, 2021
A Kazmers1, A J Perkins, L A Jacobs
1Division of Vascular Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Abstract:
Our objective was to assess outcomes for 8696 patients who underwent 9236 above- (AKA) and/or below-knee (BKA) amputations during a 4-year period for disorders of the circulatory system. Veterans Affairs (VA) Patient Treatment File (PTF) data were acquired for all patients in Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) 113 and 114 hospitalized in VA medical centers (VAMCs) during fiscal years 1991-1994. Data were further analyzed by Patient Management Category (PMC) software, which measured illness severity, patient complexity, and relative intensity score (RIS), a measure of resource utilization. The results of this analysis showed that mortality and morbidity rates remain high after AKA and BKA. Differing amputation practice patterns found in this study warrant further investigation.
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