Limb Amputation Treatment

Limb amputation treatment is a surgical procedure usually performed to permanently remove one of your body parts that is damaged by an injury or affected by a serious disease. Although the treatment is not an easy procedure for either the patient or the operating surgeon. It requires a lot of mental strength and resilience. Doctors decide to perform limb amputation when they find that there is no way to secure the whole body from spreading the disease to all body parts. Injuries and diseases are the main causes that generally affect your limbs.  

Types of Limb Amputation 

There are several types of limb amputation, which are as follows: 

• Leg Amputation
• Finger Amputation
• Foot Amputation
• Toe Amputation
• Hand Amputation 

Causes of Limb Amputation 

There could be several reasons for a limb amputation. The most primary cause is unusual blood circulation because of damage or narrowing of the arteries. Because of insufficient blood flow, the body’s cells could not get enough oxygen and nutrients, which they needed from the bloodstream. Hence, the affected tissue starts to die and leading to infection in the body. This is key factor of causing limb amputation. Other reasons can also be responsible for limb amputation which include:

• Vehicle accident that causes serious injury.
• Cancerous tumor occurrence in any bone.
• Severe infection that does not get better with antibiotics.
• Frostbite (a condition in which underlying tissues of the skin freeze).
• Neuroma (a condition in which nerve tissues get thickened).

Risks of Limb Amputation 

The following are the possible risks that could be posed after the limb amputation surgery: 

• Chronic pain 
• Cardiovascular Problems
• Respiratory Failure, like heart and kidney failure
• Pneumonia 
• Blood Clotting

Limb Amputation Treatment Procedure 

Before Surgery 

• Assessment: Before going to surgery, your healthcare team will check your health and injuries. If the injuries are severe, then the doctor tries to save your limb by performing a limb salvage surgery. To obtain this surgery, make sure that your surgeon shares the risks and benefits of this surgery. If this process is not successful, then they will plan an essential surgery.
• Counselling: Beyond the procedure itself, the implications remain painful in the long run. Hence, your healthcare team may have more than just surgeons. Recovery and surgical preparation will require you to interact with various therapists. If you are choosing a prosthetic limb, then you’ll interface with a prosthetist to understand the possibilities.

During Surgery 

During the surgery, surgeons will remove all affected and damaged tissue and preserve as much healthy tissue as possible. To repair nerves and blood vessels, they need to do a microsurgery. There is a possibility that the surgeon might refine or shape the bone end and often proceed to do any sewing for the muscle to the bone for support. Enough soft tissue must be left at the end of the stump for good closure.

You may have already talked with your surgeon about a specific type of prosthesis. In certain situations, they may take additional steps during your surgery to help prepare you for that prosthesis. Examples of these steps include:

Target Muscle Reinnervation 

This technique is used for upper limb amputees which helps in controlling a myoelectric arm or hand more easily. After the amputation, the surgeon reroutes the nerves that originally controlled the lost limb to a new “target muscle” elsewhere on the body, usually in the shoulder or chest. This allows for more intuitive control of the prosthesis by activating the relocated muscle.

Osseointegration 

Osseointegration is the process of attaching your prosthesis directly to your bone. In this procedure, the surgeon implants a metal anchor into the bone at the end of your limb, which extends outward. Your prosthesis can then be securely attached to this anchor, making it simpler to put on and remove. Additionally, this approach can help minimize skin complications that can sometimes occur with traditional prosthetic sockets.

Rotationplasty 

Rotationplasty, an innovative and transformative procedure, is an empowering solution for some. Involving removal of part or all of the upper leg and excision and rotation of a healthy lower leg to its place so that the ankle can serve as a functional knee, this method affords one the ability to use a below-the-knee prosthesis as opposed to an above-the-knee one. That improved mobility makes movement much more fluid and natural. Consequently, more independence is given to one in performing daily activities with ease and confidence.

After Surgery

Once your surgery is done, you need to spend a few weeks in the hospital for recovery. During hospital stay, you’ll be given an oxygen mask, pain management medication,s and necessary fluids through an IV for better recovery. In the meantime, a team of healthcare providers will carefully monitor all your vitals and wound healing. After a few days, a physical therapist will evaluate your condition and then suggest physical therapies and small exercise that will contribute to your recovery. Hence, you will continue your rehabilitation either at home or in a rehabilitation centre. Your rehabilitation includes: 

• Physical Therapy: You will need to move your body daily to prevent your tissues from becoming stiff. You’ll also need to adapt new methods to use your body in new ways. 
• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy assists you in knowing and adjusting your daily life according to your new physical condition. It will guide you in finding alternative ways to complete regular tasks in both professional place and and home. 
• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is equally important as physical therapy because amputation is stressful procedure that often leads to depression and anxiety. 
• Prosthesis Fitting and Training: If you are willing to use a prosthetic limb, you’ll need to start the fitting process once you have recovered, and it requires training for multiple months.