When is leg amputation needed

Lower limb amputations. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Amputation surgeries for the lower limb. Orthotics and Prosthetics in Rehabilitation. Lower extremity amputations: operative techniques and results. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. Toy PC. General principles of amputations. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. Reviewed by: C. Editorial team. Leg or foot amputation Amputation - foot; Amputation - leg; Trans-metatarsal amputation; Below knee amputation; BK amputation; Above knee amputation; AK amputation; Trans-femoral amputation; Trans-tibial amputation.

Why the Procedure Is Performed Reasons for having an amputation of a lower limb are: Severe trauma to the limb caused by an accident Poor blood flow to the limb Infections that do not go away or become worse and cannot be controlled or healed Tumors of the lower limb Severe burns or severe frostbite Wounds that will not heal Loss of function to the limb Loss of sensation to the limb, making it vulnerable to injury.

Risks Risks of any surgery are: Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs Breathing problems Bleeding Risks of this surgery are: A feeling that the limb is still there.

This is called phantom sensation. Sometimes, this feeling can be painful. Share on Twitter. Home Your individual fitting Leg prostheses From amputation to rehabilitation Before the amputation Amputation causes. Your individual fitting. Our PatientCare Centers. Reasons for amputating. Related topics. Amputation in case of circulatory disorders What are known as arterial occlusive diseases constitute the most common cause for amputations in the Western world. Amputation in case of diabetic foot syndrome Diabetic foot syndrome is one of the most common causes for leg or foot amputations.

Diabetes mellitus generally causes several mutually reinforcing disorders. Amputation after an accident The frequency of amputations after accidents — including for example work and traffic accidents — has decreased considerably in the Western world.

Amputation due to tumours Amputations due to cancer are relatively rare. Amputation after an infection Since Louis Pasteur described the effect of antibiotics in , amputations due to infections have become extremely rare.

Contact us. Be active. Talk to your doctor about what you can do. If you are active and use your remaining limb, it will heal faster.

You may shower when your doctor okays it. Wash the remaining limb with soap and water, and pat it dry. You may need help doing this at first. You may need to adapt your car to your situation before you drive. You will probably be able to return to work and your usual routine when your remaining limb heals.

This can be as soon as 4 to 8 weeks after surgery, but it may take longer. You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt. You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements.

Take a fibre supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative. Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. He or she will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines. If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if and when to start taking it again.

Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. Take pain medicines exactly as directed. If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed. If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.

If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach: Take your medicine after meals unless your doctor has told you not to. Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine. If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better.

You need to take the full course of antibiotics. Rehabilitation is a series of exercises you do after your surgery. Infected gangrene should be treated with the goal of getting rid of the infection yet preserving as much of the extremity as possible. Dead or dying infected tissue should be removed debridement as quickly as possible. Tissue that is infected but may likely heal should be left.

And the person should receive intravenous antibiotics. If a person is not stable or does not respond to antibiotic treatment and debridement, amputation must be done rapidly. A first emergency amputation is often done with the goal of stabilizing the person. And a second elective operation may be done to remove any further dead tissue and to improve the function of the remaining limb.

Szalay MD - Vascular Surgery. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Rakesh K. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.