Lower-Limb Preservation Strategy

Lower-limb amputation is a serious complication of non-healing wounds that result from vascular disease and/or diabetes. 

Vascular disease and diabetes account for a significant number of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in Ontario, of which up to 85% are estimated to be preventable. Successful implementation of organized lower-limb preservation efforts has shown great reduction in amputation rates, saving millions of dollars and providing appropriate limb-saving care to patients and communities.

Ontario Health has developed a Lower-Limb Preservation Strategy with these high-level goals:

1. To reduce avoidable, non-traumatic major lower-limb amputations in Ontario
2. To improve equitable access to high-quality best-practice early screening, cardiovascular risk factor modification and integrated lower-limb wound care

Guiding the development of this strategy is an Advisory Committee made up of interprofessional lower-limb preservation experts and patient and family advisors with lived experience from across the province.

The outcomes of this work include:

• Ontario Framework for Lower-Limb Preservation
• Care Pathways
• Change Package (working document)
• Patient Toolkit (working document)

Please reach out to Ontario Health (Corhealth) for more information or if you have any questions.