Amputation

In some cases an affected limb cannot be saved. Sometimes this happens after a bypass has been attempted, or if the limb is too damaged to be repaired by a bypass. Our surgeons will try to remove the least amount of leg or foot possible.

The procedure itself is quite straightforward, as the unsalvageable part of the limb is removed by surgery. However, the recovery can be more complicated. Even a relatively ‘minor’ amputation such as a toe or part of a foot can impact a patient’s walking ability. Amputations that remove more of the leg, such as a below-knee amputation, will require extensive rehab to restore a patient’s ability to move. How much mobility patients  recover is partly based on what they could do before they got sick. For example, if a patient was bed-bound prior to having vascular issues with their leg, it is unlikely that they will improve beyond that after an amputation. The length of hospital stay for patients with this procedure varies widely depending on how much was amputated and how well the patient recovers.

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