Amputation as a Physical Disability
The National Library of Medicine defines an amputee as a person who as lost a limb, an arm or a leg. While other amputations (such as breast) are done, they are considered differently. The most common reason for amputation is not injury, but peripheral artery disease. Other reasons include cancer or an extremely severe infection that is not responding.
Amputees may have phantom pain which is pain that seems to be in the limb that is missing. This often goes away after a period of weeks to months. Part of rehabilitation after an amputation may be fitting with an artificial or prosthetic limb and training in how to use it. Amputees are encouraged to exercise, and special prosthetics have been developed to help golf swings or enable skiing.
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- Q What is amputation?
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Amputation is the removal of all or part of a limb. Limbs may be amputated for a few reasons: they may be affecting your health due to a tumor or an infection, or they may be causing you severe pain without being functional. Most amputations are the... Full Answer
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- Q What tissues do surgeons cut through during an amputation?
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A surgeon must cut through numerous types of body tissue during an amputation. They include: Skin: When cutting through the skin,the surgeon must be sure the resulting scar will not rub up against the connection socket for the prosthetic limb. Muscle:... Full Answer
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- Q How long does it take to recover from an amputation?
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After surgery, the wound from an amputation may take one or two months to heal. A patient will probably stay in the hospital for up to two weeks, provided there are no complications. Amputees who get prostheses, or artificial limbs, may be able to start... Full Answer
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- Q How many people have an amputation each year?
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Approximately 1 in every 200 people in the United States has undergone an amputation. Annually, in the U.S., approximately 156,000 people have an amputation. There are currently over 1.7 million people in the U.S. with an amputated limb. Amputations... Full Answer
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- Q How common are amputations?
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One of every 200 Americans is an amputee, according to the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC). The rate of amputations has declined by about 50 percent during the past 10 years, but the rate of amputations due to peripheral artery disease and... Full Answer
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- Q How do surgeons decide where to amputate?
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When deciding where to make an amputation, surgeons need to evaluate which body tissues have the best opportunity for survival. One issue to consider is the blood supply to the area. Various sophisticated techniques can be used to measure skin... Full Answer
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- Q How do I preserve an amputated body part?
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Dr. Rachel Rohde, Orthopedic SurgeryI am so glad you asked this question; as a hand surgeon, I often see patients in the emergency room after unfortunate accidents involving their fingers. Most people bring the part in "on ice." Unfortunately, putting it directly on ice can damage the... Full Answer
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- Q Who is Aron Ralston?
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Mountaineer Aron Ralston in May 2003 was climbing in a Utah canyon when a boulder shifted and crushed his arm against a cliff. After spending several days in the remote canyon, pinned against the rock, he had tried everything to free his arm and had run... Full Answer
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- Q What are some possible causes for amputations?
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Amputations can involve as little as a single toe, or as much as from the hip down. Amputation of an upper bodypart is called an upper extremity amputation. Amputations of a lower body part is called a lower extremity amputation. Here are some of the... Full Answer
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