Amputation

Hey everyone, I’m dealing with a massive crisis right now. A close friend of mine just had his right leg amputated below the knee a few days ago—all because of a fracture that wasn't handled properly by the doctors. It’s been a total shock to our whole circle, and honestly, we’re all feeling pretty lost on how to navigate this. I’ve spent some time digging through info online, but I’m struggling to figure out what the actual reality looks like here in the States regarding recovery and next steps. I would be incredibly grateful for any insight you can share about the amputation process, prosthetic options, or just general advice on what to expect. Thanks in advance.

Man, that's just brutal.😢

When you're looking at an amputation like this, there are really only two ways it goes down—either the medical care was genuinely subpar (which happens more than we'd like to admit), or the break itself was so nasty, maybe with some serious vascular damage to the lower leg, that they had no choice but to go through with it, even while being treated right there in Houston.
At the end of the day, regardless of why it happened, you're facing the reality of losing a limb, and that’s a heavy pill to swallow for anyone, especially if they've still got a lot of life ahead of them.
Once the surgery is over, the immediate priority is managing any local infection and just letting that wound heal up properly.

While that healing process is still underway—especially once they get discharged from the surgical ward—it’s time to jump straight into physical therapy. You’ve definitely got to see a physiatrist who can check things out and set the pace for rehab. I'd imagine they might spend some time at a specialized rehab center or maybe even a recovery resort where the PTs can really work their magic. At the same time, I bet right after that first specialist appointment, they'll start taking measurements to get a prosthesis fitted. Once that prosthetic is ready, it's back to the physical therapists to teach the person how to actually move with it. It's all about learning how to function normally again, despite the loss.

I don't think the process should be too complicated, but honestly, it wouldn't hurt to double-check what's covered by insurance versus what's out-of-pocket, from the rehab sessions all the way to the custom prosthesis, just so there aren't any nasty surprises when the bills start rolling in.

And lastly, you can't overlook the mental side of recovering, particularly for younger folks; sitting down with a psychologist or a therapist isn't some luxury, it's a necessity.

Oh, and one last thing—if the amputation really was caused by medical malpractice, there's no reason not to take the hospital to court to get some compensation.

Yeah—I get it. I really do. Most of this makes sense to me, and I’m fully aware of the situation. But honestly, I’d love to hear from someone who’s actually been in the trenches themselves, or maybe has someone in their own family dealing with something similar. I want to hear how things look from that perspective.

Couldn't find a thread specifically about reamputations, so I figured I'd just start one—sorry if this already exists, feel free to move my post if it does.

My dad had his left leg amputated above the knee about ten days ago. He’s been dealing with clogged arteries for months, losing about 45 pounds because he couldn't even eat from the pain—it got to the point where he didn't even recognize us. The surgery was an absolute emergency because Gangrene had set in and was spreading fast; they told us it was basically a Hail Mary, giving him maybe a 25% chance of making it through. They were essentially preparing us for the worst.
But he actually pulled through!
The catch is, the last few inches near the incision site aren't getting any oxygen, so they have to go back in to trim that part off. So, he's headed back for a reamputation tomorrow.
His labs have improved, he's more "himself" again, and he's finally coming around. Over these last ten days, there's a super clear line between the tissue that isn't getting blood flow and the rest of the stump. The skin looks well-perfused, and I'm just praying the muscle underneath is doing okay too—assuming those vessels supplying the skin are pulling from the deeper arteries. The doctors are being pretty tight-lipped, though. They mentioned the exterior looks fine, but they won't know the deal with the muscle until they actually open him up. If the muscle is healthy, they'll just clean out the dead tissue and call it a day, but if the muscle is shot, they might have to go all the way up to the hip... and they said he's likely too weak to survive a hip disarticulation right now.
The whole mess started because of blood clots, and honestly, if the hospital had run the right tests sooner, he wouldn't be in this life-or-death situation and would still have his leg.

I'm wondering if anyone here has been through something similar—where a reamputation was necessary because the end of the limb went necrotic—and what the muscle condition looked like above that line?
I'm really crossing my fingers that everything is okay, especially since he's been on Heparin/Clexane nonstop for two months to prevent more clots, and when they first operated ten days ago, the muscle looked solid. But still, the anxiety is real and I'm just stuck waiting to see how this goes.

So, my hip basically popped out of place. How long am I looking at for recovery, and what kind of prosthesis is actually worth it—something super stable but won't totally kill my mobility? I'd love to hear any advice or personal stories you guys have.

I’m one of those lucky bastards who had their lower leg completely wiped out. I didn't even break it or anything—no physical trauma involved—but Gangrene just decided to take over. By the time anyone realized what was happening, the rot had spread so far it actually became life-threatening. There wasn't any other choice but to get the limb amputated. The stump hasn't fully healed yet, and I’ve been dealing with phantom pains (look it up on Google if you don't believe me). I’m already getting up there in age, so losing a leg isn't exactly a small setback. Especially after seeing this guy at the Walgreens the other day; he rode up on a motorcycle with both prosthetics. If anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, go check it out: the guy's name is Jack Nerve.

I’ve been living without my lower leg for about ten years now... honestly, it isn't even a big deal once you get used to it. I mean, yeah, it looks pretty brutal at first, I won't lie. But once the wound heals up and you finally get fitted for a prosthesis, everything just kind of clicks into place. Seriously, if you have any questions, just ask me anything.

Greetings, everyone...

Olivia Evans and briskskipper71.... I haven't started my journey yet, but next week I head into battle...
First, it will be the toes...up to the midfoot, because of Gangrene...and the doctors expect slow healing due to complications...
I would ask so many things...but honestly, I'm just terrified...for instance..when those phantom pains hit you, what do you do?
Ten years is a lifetime of experience....
Can I reach out...?
Once I feel "normal" again after the surgery...😵

Hey there, I'm checking in... feel free to ask me anything you want to know. Phantom pains... man, they are such a rough experience. Luckily, it doesn't last forever—it's usually about 30 to 40 days before it settles down, and then you're just left with that phantom sensation. It doesn't exactly hurt after that, but it drives you absolutely crazy. I guess if it's just toes or part of the foot being amputated, it might not be too bad... though, from what I can tell, the more significant the amputation, the more intense those phantom pains get.

Hello...
briskskipper71...thanks for checking in..
surgery was on October 24th and the wound still hasn't closed...
Actually, that’s exactly what the doctor was worried about... Gangrene had reached my toes, and I’m dealing with several serious diagnoses along with my Medrol... plus dialysis...
I can't say for sure if it's phantom pain... but the thumbnail of my big toe (which is gone) keeps "hitting" the inside of my shoe...
😂
I've been scouring the web... looking for stories, support groups... anything... I found a few sites... and forums... that feel just as phantom-like...
It's eating at me that I can't walk, and my leg muscles are acting up.. what even is that?
I don't even feel steady on my "healthy" leg...
ugh.. ugh ..it feels a bit better, but I'm sorry this thread isn't active... though thank Bogo there aren't any amputees here... which I suspect...
bye

Hello...
Back again... after the finger reamputation, the wound is almost entirely closed...
And it hurts...
The pain is driving me insane... I suppose the tendons... and bones are searching for where they used to be...
Anyway, I just lie here
...because of the amputation, the dialysis... and years of being bedridden
Now my legs are just nothing but bone and skin... like sponges...
I'm terrified of how I'll ever manage to walk...
Not because of the amputation, but because of the muscle atrophy...
😵

My dad lost his leg above the knee last night due to Gangrene. Now we’re just trying to figure out how to make his life any easier. I'm looking for some insight on prosthetics, but also the practical stuff—like whether we should rip out the bathtub to install a walk-in shower at floor level, or if it's better to just buy a bunch of specialized bath aids. My mom lives with him, so he isn't completely on his own, but we're still figuring this out. Does anyone have advice? This whole situation is totally new to us; nobody in our family has ever dealt with someone who has limited mobility before.

William Cox73 said:My dad lost his leg above the knee last night due to Gangrene. Now we’re just trying to figure out how to make his life any easier. I'm looking for some insight on prosthetics, but also the practical stuff—like whether we should rip out the bathtub to install a walk-in shower at floor level, or if it's better to just buy a bunch of specialized bath aids. My mom lives with him, so he isn't completely on his own, but we're still figuring this out. Does anyone have advice? This whole situation is totally new to us; nobody in our family has ever dealt with someone who has limited mobility before.

Honestly, the safest bet—and probably the only right way to go about it—is to get a consultation with a physical therapist who can actually come to the house. They can assess what he's capable of doing now, what he'll likely be able to handle once he finishes rehab, and together you can look at the layout to see if the space actually needs changing or if you can just work around it.

velvetmoose9 said:Honestly, the safest bet—and probably the only right way to go about it—is to get a consultation with a physical therapist who can actually come to the house. They can assess what he's capable of doing now, what he'll likely be able to handle once he finishes rehab, and together you can look at the layout to see if the space actually needs changing or if you can just work around it.

Thanks. We're all still reeling from the shock and trying to figure out our next move. The doctors kept insisting everything would be fine, then suddenly, they're left without a leg.

What was the specific diagnosis they operated under?

Did they have any other health issues or underlying conditions on their record before this?

velvetmoose9 said:What was the specific diagnosis they operated under?

Did they have any other health issues or underlying conditions on their record before this?

He’s diabetic, has vascular issues, a weak heart...
It all started about two and a half years ago with his right leg. They had to amputate both toes, they performed angioplasty on his vessels... nobody expected things to turn out this well... thank God. About a month and a half ago, a wound opened up on his heel on the other leg. We contacted the doctor immediately, and they tried more vessel work to get the circulation moving enough for the wound to heal... but it didn't work, and they had to amputate the leg.

William Cox73 said:He’s diabetic, has vascular issues, a weak heart...
It all started about two and a half years ago with his right leg. They had to amputate both toes, they performed angioplasty on his vessels... nobody expected things to turn out this well... thank God. About a month and a half ago, a wound opened up on his heel on the other leg. We contacted the doctor immediately, and they tried more vessel work to get the circulation moving enough for the wound to heal... but it didn't work, and they had to amputate the leg.

Unfortunately, when you're dealing with diabetes—especially if it's been around for a while and hasn't been well-managed over a long stretch of time—you run into permanent damage to the microcirculation in your blood vessels.

Doctors usually try to be conservative at first and avoid jumping straight to surgery or amputation, but the reality is that the progression of the disease is almost always pretty brutal. Since that microcirculation is irreversibly damaged, it’s really just a matter of time before they have to cut higher and higher up toward the torso.

If you don't take those steps, you're looking at Gangrene, and once that sets in, the whole situation becomes incredibly painful and exhausting for both the patient and everyone looking after them.

velvetmoose9 said:Unfortunately, when you're dealing with diabetes—especially if it's been around for a while and hasn't been well-managed over a long stretch of time—you run into permanent damage to the microcirculation in your blood vessels.

Doctors usually try to be conservative at first and avoid jumping straight to surgery or amputation, but the reality is that the progression of the disease is almost always pretty brutal. Since that microcirculation is irreversibly damaged, it’s really just a matter of time before they have to cut higher and higher up toward the torso.

If you don't take those steps, you're looking at Gangrene, and once that sets in, the whole situation becomes incredibly painful and exhausting for both the patient and everyone looking after them.

We are fully aware of that. Our main focus here was on how to make his daily life easier and minimize the mental toll. We were asking about practical stuff: Are there significant differences in prosthetics (is it worth paying out of pocket for a better one? Where should we look?) Shower setups—walk-in showers versus standard ones with grab bars? Creams...

I’m looking for some guidance on how to handle things once she gets home. What should I be doing, and what kind of setup do we need? Specifically, regarding hygiene—should she be showering or using something else? And for the bed situation, should I get a standard one or something more specialized, like those adjustable electric hospital beds you see in clinics? My mom had surgery three days ago on her femur, and she’s also dealing with Type 2 diabetes...