Effects of prosthetic limb prescription on 3-year mortality among Veterans with lower-limb amputation

Our objective was to determine the relationship between receipt of a prescription for a prosthetic limb and 3 yr mortality postsurgery among Veterans with lower-limb amputation (LLA). We conducted a retrospective observational study that included 4,578 Veterans hospitalized for LLA and discharged in fiscal years 2003 and 2004. The outcome was time to all-cause mortality from the amputation surgical date up to the 3 yr anniversary of the surgical date. Of the Veterans with LLA, 1,300 (28.4%) received a prescription for a prosthetic limb within 1 yr after the surgical amputation. About 46% (n = 2,086) died within 3 yr of the surgical anniversary. Among those who received a prescription for a prosthetic limb, only 25.2% died within 3 yr of the surgical anniversary. After adjustment, Veterans who received a prescription for a prosthetic limb were less likely to die after the surgery than Veterans without a prescription, with a hazard ratio of 0.68 (95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.77). Findings demonstrated that Veterans with LLA who received a prescription for a prosthetic limb within 1 yr after the surgical amputation were less likely to die within 3 yr of the surgical amputation after controlling for patient-, treatment-, and facility-level characteristics.