[Current status of amputation surgery]

Limb salvage by revascularisation of occluded arterial pathways is main goal of vascular surgical activities. However, if dying or gangrenous tissue has to be removed, the question of: where to amputate--and the potential rehabilitation has to be answered. Septic amputation being an emergency operation has to be compared with elective one with definitive shaping of the stump. In major amputations knee disarticulation is preferred nowadays as being mostly "atraumatic" and well able for rehabilitation. In minor amputations bunions of the great and the little toes should be preserved especially in case the whole phalangeal and metatarsal forefoot amputation seems to have better results than removal of the first of fifth toe together with their metatarsia. A distal borderline amputation can only be performed in diabetics and after revascularisation of the feeding arterial tree.