Amputation is the surgical removal of a body limb, extremity, or appendage (such as toes and fingers); when affected by gangrene, disease, malignancy, arterial embolisms, arterial thrombosis, or injury.
Amputations are performed on the arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers and toes.
The procedure is performed as a surgical option to control disease, gangrene formation, malignancy, and excessive pain. In some cases, Amputation may be performed as a preventative measure when the patient is suffering from any of the above mentioned ailment. Apart from these, some other indications for an Amputation are:
Alternatives to Amputation depend primarily on two main factors and they are: the medical cause and the degree of medical urgency. In some cases, drug therapy may be considered as an alternative.
When the affected limb or appendage has become completely diseased or damaged, Amputation remains the only option to prevent further damage to other adjoining parts of the body. Amputation is an old age procedure and no significant advances have been as yet made, to replace this procedure.
The cost of Amputation procedure depends on a variety of factors, such as the type of your health insurance, annual deductibles, co-pay requirements, out-of-network and in-network of your healthcare providers and healthcare facilities.
In many cases, an estimate may be provided before the procedure. The final amount depends upon the findings during the surgery/procedure and post-operative care that is necessary.
http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/A-Ce/Amputation.html#b
An Amputation is performed at an out-patient surgery center facility, or a hospital that is equipped to conduct such a surgical procedure.
A general surgeon, a vascular surgeon, or an orthopedic surgeon performs an Amputation procedure.
The time taken to perform an Amputation depends on the part of the body being amputated. It may take anywhere between an hour to 4 hours, to complete the surgery.
It is very important to provide the following information to your healthcare provider. This enables your healthcare provider in assessing the risks for the surgical procedure and helps avoid unnecessary complications.
A physician will request your consent for the Amputation procedure using an Informed Consent Form.
A physician will request your consent for the Amputation procedure using an Informed Consent Form.
Consent for the Procedure: A “consent” is your approval to undergo a procedure. A consent form is signed after the risks and benefits of the procedure, and alternative treatment options, are discussed. This process is called informed consent.
You must sign the forms only after you are totally satisfied by the answers to your questions. In case of minors and individuals unable to personally give their consent, the individual’s legal guardian or next of kin, shall give their consent for the procedure.
Prior to the surgery, the patient must get a routine blood and urine test done. Additionally, the surgeon may also suggest an X-ray of the affected area and an arterial doppler.
A general anesthesia is administered during the surgical procedure.
The possible complications that may arise during such a type of surgery are:
The healthcare facility must have an intensive care unit (ICU) attached, for immediate post-operative care and recovery, if needed. This is especially important when a larger limb is involved in the surgical procedure.
There could be a possible risk or complication in the post-surgery period. This includes:
Post-surgery, almost all the patients experience some amount of psychological trauma and emotional discomfort for certain duration of time. About 50-80% of the patients have phantom limb experience.
The patient must inform the physician if pain, swelling, redness or bleeding increases in the area around the stump. Similarly, if any signs of infection are noticed, or the patient develops weakness, fever and dizziness; then a consultation with the surgeon may be necessary.
At home, the following post-operative care is recommended, after Amputation procedure:
It takes about 6 weeks to fully recover from the surgery.
The tissue is taken for further examination and later disposed, as per the standard medical procedure.
It is important to note that the number of bills that the patient may receive depends on the arrangement the healthcare facility has with the physician and other healthcare providers.
Sometimes, the patient may get a single bill that includes the healthcare facility and the consultant physician charges. Sometimes, the patient might get multiple bills depending on the healthcare provider involved. For instance, the patient may get a bill from:
The patient is advised to inquire and confirm the type of billing, before an Amputation is performed.
We sincerely acknowledge and thank Dr. Douglas J. Jones for reviewing the article. His valuable input and feedback has helped enrich the contents of this article.
Douglas J. Jones, MD FACS
Board Certified General Surgeon and Faculty Member
University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign
506 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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