Quality of Life of Patients Underwent Midfoot Amputation at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kochi

Midfoot amputations are commonly seen among patients with diabetic foot ulcers, which may cause impaired physical mobility and can affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life of patients who underwent midfoot amputation.

Materials and Method: A quantitative approach with descriptive research design was used for the study. It was conducted among 55 patients who underwent midfoot amputation and were attending the endocrine and podiatry OPD of a tertiary care hospital. Sample selection was done using non‑probability convenience sampling technique. The socio‑demographic and clinical data were collected by a semi‑structured questionnaire and the quality of life was assessed using SF‑36 questionnaire. Analysis was done using chi square test.

Results: Majority of the subjects (98%) had poor quality of life with a mean score of 31.18±6.62. Among the 8 domains of quality of life, role limitation due to physical health was the poorest with a mean score of 8.19±14.47. Physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of SF‑36 were also poor with mean scores of 29.35±8.60 and 30.72±11.85 respectively. No significant association was found between the quality of life and selected demographic variables of the midfoot amputated patients.

Conclusion: The result of the study highlights poor quality of life among midfoot amputated patients. It was also found that the major problem that led to poor quality of life was the role limitation due to physical health. Therefore, there should be more focus on the rehabilitation of patients after midfoot amputation to improve their quality of life.