Leg amputation why

You need to take the full course of antibiotics. Rehabilitation is a series of exercises you do after your surgery. This helps you learn to use your remaining limb and artificial leg. You will work with your doctor and physiotherapist to plan this exercise program. To get the best results, you need to do the exercises correctly and as often and as long as your doctor tells you. Your rehab program will give you a number of exercises to do.

Always do them as your therapist tells you. Preventing contractures is very important. A contracture occurs when a joint becomes stuck in one position.

If this happens, it may be hard or impossible to straighten your remaining limb and use an artificial leg. Make sure you put equal weight on both hips when you sit. Use firm chairs, and sit up straight. Keep your remaining limb flat with your legs together while you are lying on your back. Lie on your stomach as much as possible to stretch your hip joint. Do not sit for more than an hour or two. Stand, or lie on your stomach now and then. Do not put pillows under your hips or knees or between your thighs.

For example, call if: You passed out lost consciousness. You have chest pain, are short of breath, or you cough up blood. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if: You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine. You are sick to your stomach or cannot drink fluids. You have loose stitches, or your incision comes open. You have signs of a blood clot in your leg called a deep vein thrombosis , such as: Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.

Redness or swelling in your leg. You have signs of infection, such as: Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness. Red streaks leading from the incision. Pus draining from the incision. A fever. You bleed through your bandage. If you were previously a smoker, you must make a sincere and determined effort to stop as this may damage the circulation in your other leg. It is also important that you do not put on weight, as this will make mobilising with a wheelchair or artificial leg more difficult.

Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Take good care of your remaining foot. Keep it clean and protected from injury by wearing a well-fitting shoe. The orthotist can provide special footwear and if required, a chiropodist could cut your toenails.

If you are diabetic, you should control your blood pressure as this is extremely important for your overall rehabilitation and future health. More information and advice about vascular health. Whilst we make every effort to ensure that the information contained on this site is accurate, it is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and the Circulation Foundation recommends consultation with your doctor or health care professional.

The Circulation Foundation cannot accept liability for any loss or damage resulting from any inaccuracy in this information or third party information such as information on websites to which we link. The information provided is intended to support patients, not provide personal medical advice. The main sites of amputation are; Just below the knee Through the knee Through the thigh The site of amputation will depend on how poor the blood supply to your leg is. The following information will help to explain the procedure of leg amputation: Before your operation You will usually be admitted for one or two days before your operation.

These will include: X-ray of the arteries arteriogram to confirm where the blockages are located Chest X-ray Blood tests ECG a heart tracing Breathing test Please bring with you all the medications that you are currently taking. The wound can become infected and if so, will require treatment with antibiotics. Aches and twinges in the wound are common and may continue for several months.

File attachment. Circulation Foundation leg amputation leaflet. Latest News. Walking on an above-the-knee prosthesis artificial limb requires a lot more energy than walking on a below-the-knee prosthesis, although young, relatively healthy people manage much better than older, more frail people do. But when a below-the-knee amputation cannot be done, an above-the-knee amputation has the advantage of easier healing.

Sometimes a bypass grafting operation may be done to allow a below-knee amputation site to heal adequately. The most important thing in deciding whether a below-knee amputation will heal is the clinical judgment of a knowledgeable surgeon. In general, amputations for sudden ischemia when a clot develops and completely blocks blood supply to an extremity are done to control pain soon after the preoperative evaluation is finished, if possible.

Bypass surgery or angioplasty is always done when possible. Amputation is the last option. Non-infected gangrene of the fingers and toes can be treated by amputation or can be allowed to "autoamputate" tissue dies and sloughs off on its own over a period of time, usually months.

Gangrene of other extremities requires amputation. 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. Jaimie Troyal Shores, M. Amputation is the loss or removal of a body part such as a finger, toe, hand, foot, arm or leg.

It can be a life changing experience affecting your ability to move, work, interact with others and maintain your independence. Continuing pain, phantom limb phenomena and emotional trauma can complicate recovery.

Johns Hopkins plastic and reconstructive surgeon Jaimie Shores, M. Amputation can be traumatic due to an accident or injury or surgical due to any of multiple causes such as blood vessel disease, cancer, infection, excessive tissue damage, dysfunction, pain, etc. A portion of the body could also be missing before birth, called congenital amputation. Healing, recovery and rehabilitation from a major amputation require a multidisciplinary approach.

A person undergoing an amputation may or may not use a prosthetic as part of the recovery plan. A person can experience a traumatic amputation from a motor vehicle, occupational or industrial accident or combat injury. A body part can be cut off or torn away in a severe accident, or it can be so badly damaged from a crush injury or severe burns that it cannot be saved. Trauma or disease that cuts off blood flow to a body part for an extended time can also cause tissue death requiring an amputation.

An example is frostbite, which can damage the blood vessels in fingers and toes, eventually requiring their removal. Chronic vascular problems can lead to tissue death in toes, feet and legs. Of patients undergoing amputation for complications of these diseases, nearly half will die within five years of the amputation procedure. Cancers such as sarcomas can affect bone and soft tissue in the limbs, and if the cancer is too large or aggressive to be removed, if it is recurring, or if it extends into the nerves or blood vessels, amputation might be necessary.

Advanced cancers affecting the upper leg can result in an amputation procedure called hip disarticulation, which removes the entire femur thigh bone from the pelvis.

Severe sepsis is also called septicemia or blood poisoning. It happens when drug-resistant bacteria overwhelm the body and spread throughout the bloodstream.