Amputation

  • Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery.
  • As a surgical measure, amputation is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene.
  • A transplant or prosthesis are the only options for recovering the loss from amputation.
  • In the US, the majority of new amputations occur due to complications of the vascular system (of or pertaining to the blood vessels), especially from diabetes. Between 1988 and 1996, there were, on average, 133,735 hospital discharges for amputation per year in the US. However, these numbers have been dropping due to better care and procedures.