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Amputations at the London Hospital 1852-1857.

E J Chaloner¹, H S Flora, R J Ham

¹Academic Vascular Surgery Unit, University College Hospitals NHS Trust, Middlesex Hospital, Mortimer Street, London W1N 8AA, UK. eddie.chaloner@diversitynow.net

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

|July 20, 2001

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Surgical amputations in the 1850s London Hospital had a high 46% mortality rate, often from sepsis. Lower-limb surgeries and chloroform anesthesia were linked to worse patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

Medical History
Surgical Outcomes
Public Health

Background:

Historical surgical practices at the London Hospital between 1852 and 1857.
Analysis of 142 amputations performed on 136 patients during this period.

Observation:

Work-related injuries were the primary reason for amputations.
A significant overall mortality rate of 46% was recorded.
Lower-limb amputations exhibited a particularly high death rate.

Findings:

Postoperative sepsis was the leading cause of death.
Patients who received chloroform anesthesia had poorer outcomes compared to those who received ether anesthesia.

Implications:

Highlights the critical challenges and high risks associated with mid-19th-century surgical procedures.

Related Experiment Videos

Underscores the importance of anesthesia choice and infection control in surgical outcomes.

Provides historical data on amputation mortality and its contributing factors for medical history research.