TITLE:
Troubleshooting a Difficult Trans-Tibial/Fibula Amputation: A Case Report
AUTHORS:
Amy C. Ross, Alejandra Navarro Castaneda, Jared D. Stucki, Katharine A. Dishner, Marisse A. Lardizabal, Bryan J. Roth, Luis G. Fernandez, Samantha A. Delapena, Marc R. Matthews
KEYWORDS:
Guillotine Amputation, Difficult Amputation, Amputation, Retained Hardware, Titanium Plate, Trans-Tibia Amputation
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.14 No.6,
June
21,
2023
ABSTRACT: Necrotic feet secondary to vascular compromise in
the diabetic patient may require an emergent guillotine amputation.
Unrecognized, retained hardware in a distal ankle years after fracture repair
may complicate the intraoperative guillotine amputation at the
transtibial/fibula level. Troubleshooting such an unexpected surgical problem
is not necessarily straightforward depending on the clinical situation.
Presented is a case report where a patient with a necrotic burned foot failed to inform the burn team that he had implanted
ankle hardware, prior to his surgical intervention. A successful amputation was
completed after proceeding down a specific algorithm devised for such a
scenario.