• Patrick M Collins, Doireann P Joyce, Ellen S O'Beirn, Ramy Elkady, Emily Boyle, Bridget Egan, and Sean Tierney.
• Department of Vascular Surgery, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2022 Jun 1; 191 (3): 119311991193-1199.

PurposeToe amputation is a commonly performed procedure for irreversible foot sepsis. However, outcome and predictors of outcome are poorly understood. Our aim was to determine survival and rate of progression to further amputation following index toe amputation.MethodsConsecutive patients between 2010 and 2015 were included. Progression to further minor amputation, major amputation or death was recorded. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were undertaken to determine independent predictors of outcome and survival.ResultsOne hundred forty-six patients were included, with mean age of 65 years. Fifty-five (37.7%) patients underwent hallux amputation, while 91 (62.3%) underwent amputation of non-hallux digit(s). Following index toe amputation, 63 (43.2%) patients progressed to further minor or major ipsilateral amputation, median time to which was 36 months. Twenty-one patients (14.4%) progressed to major ipsilateral amputation. Patients undergoing index non-hallux amputation were significantly more likely to require further minor amputation (P = 0.050); however, the rate of major amputation between hallux (14.5%) and non-hallux (14.3%) groups was similar. Overall, 5-year ipsilateral amputation-free (iAFS) was 39.6 ± 4.1%, ipsilateral major amputation-free (iMAFS) was 55.9 ± 4.1% and overall survival (OS) was 64.3 ± 4.0% and did not differ between index amputation sites.ConclusionAlmost half of patients undergoing toe amputation required further digital amputation. However, limb preservation rates are high, and a majority of patients are alive at 5-year follow-up. There was no significant difference in outcome between patients undergoing hallux and non-hallux primary procedures. Overall, increasing age remains the only independent predictor of iMAFS and OS.© 2021. Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

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