Rehabilitation after Amputation

Rehabilitation is a planned process with clearly defined objectives that aims to maximize the person's physical, psychological, social and vocational functions. A comprehensive management programme is best delivered by a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team based at a rehabilitation centre: patients and their families should be part of this team. Patient care is outlined for the pre-amputation phase, the surgical phase and the post-surgical phase. Psychological assessment can show the effect of the amputation on patients: they should be encouraged to gain as much functional independence as is safely possible. Patients' partners and carers should be included in this assessment. The outcomes of various levels of amputation and the prostheses most commonly used are described. Rehabilitation demands ongoing medical and prosthetic care and psychological support. Amputee support groups are useful sources of information and encouragement.