Complications during surgery
Complications that can occur during the operation are: Phantom pain is a major problem during amputation. Despite the absence of the body part, pain and discomfort are still felt in the arm or leg that is no longer present. The altered statics can also cause damage to the spine and joints. – Damage to the surrounding tissue
- Bleeding
- Infections
- Wound healing disordersand
- Scarring
- Pressure damage caused by the prosthesis
- Nerve pain
- Unnatural connections between veins and arteries (shunts) and
- Paralysis.
Forecast
A successful healing of the operated body part is shown by
- Good nutrition of the local tissues
Causes for amputation
Various causes can subsequently make it necessary to perform an amputation. These include, for example, severe injuries in which blood vessels and nerves are severed or the tissue is severely destroyed so that the body part can no longer heal. Most often, however, a severe circulatory disorder ultimately leads to the amputation of parts of the body that are no longer sufficiently supplied with blood, such as toes.
This arterial occlusive disease, also known as window dressing, can be caused by a variety of risk factors. Primarily responsible are smoking, overweight and untreated high blood pressure. Likewise, a poorly controlled diabetes leads to circulatory problems, especially in the feet, so that diabetics have a 15 to 20 times higher risk of amputation.
In addition to this usually slowly increasing deterioration of the blood circulation, a sudden occlusion of a blood vessel in the arms or legs may in the worst case require amputation. This can occur, for example, in the case of certain cardiac arrhythmias, which leads to the formation of a blood clot that clogs the blood vessel. Other vascular diseases, such as veins, can also ultimately make amputation necessary. In rarer cases, cancer of the bone, for example, is the reason why a body part has to be amputated. As a rule, an amputation is only carried out as the last remaining measure when there is no longer any prospect of preserving the affected body part.
Associated symptoms
Accompanying symptoms that can precede amputation are often poorly or not at all healing wounds on arms or legs and persistent pain. If these occur not only during stress but already at rest, an impending amputation can sometimes no longer be avoided. A severe infection, which ultimately leads to the necessity of an amputation, is often accompanied by symptoms such as fever, chills and fatigue.
After an amputation, if the wound heals well, there are no accompanying symptoms apart from the loss of function caused by the amputated body part. However, since amputation is usually necessary in patients with a poor immune system (e.g. diabetics) and insufficient blood circulation, wound healing disorders are not uncommon, particularly in the case of larger amputations. In particular, pain in the area of the residual limb can occur.
In some cases, patients also complain of so-called phantom pain in the further course of the procedure. In this case, pain or other unpleasant sensations (for example tingling) are perceived from the part of the body that was actually amputated. A severe infection, which ultimately leads to the necessity of an amputation, is often accompanied by symptoms such as fever, chills and fatigue.
After an amputation, if the wound heals well, there are no accompanying symptoms apart from the loss of function caused by the amputated body part. However, since amputation is usually necessary in patients with a poor immune system (e.g. diabetics) and insufficient blood circulation, wound healing disorders are not uncommon, particularly in the case of larger amputations. In particular, pain in the area of the residual limb can occur. In some cases, patients also complain of so-called phantom pain in the further course of the procedure. In this case, pain or other unpleasant sensations (for example tingling) are perceived from the part of the body that was actually amputated.
