Search

This is a partly retrospective study of 252 major limb amputations carried out in regional hospital in Tanzania over a period of ten years mostly by the authors. The paper reports on the aetiology and levels of amputation and identifies prevalence and sex of the amputees. The causes of amputation classified under tumours, vascular diseases, trauma, infections, burns, animal bites, iatrogenic causes, maduromycosis and miscellanea--are discussed with particular reference to the influence of the environment, cultural habits and local customs.

A survey of finger amputations carried out at Dodoma Regional Hospital, has shown that from 1983 to 1991, a total of 147 amputations have been done on 101 patients. They have been performed, mostly for causes that relate quite well with the living and working conditions of the inhabitants of Dodoma Region. Western causes of finger amputations have been responsible of ablation in a few patients in our series. Finger infection, usually with bone involvement, has been found to be the leading cause, followed by traumatic injuries, human bites and burns. Most patients were peasants, with a good number of illiterates among them, drawn from rural areas. They came late to hospital having been improperly managed in the early stages of the diseases. All these factors explain quite well why finger infections were, on admission, irrecoverable through medical means.

The records of Dodoma Orthopaedic Department, Tanzania were reviewed for the period July 1986 to December 1990 in order to identify the reasons for revision surgery. A total of 26 patients required revision surgery. Two main groups were identified. In the first group 4 patients had a higher level of amputation because of gangrene. In the second group 22 patients had revision surgery because of other stump defects caused by technical mistakes when carrying out the original amputation, or other complications.