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Leg or foot amputation - Risks

Alternative Names

Amputation - foot; Amputation - leg; Trans-metatarsal amputation; Below knee amputation; BK amputation; Above knee amputation; AK amputation; Trans-femoral amputation; Trans-tibial amputation

Risks:

Risks for any surgery are:

  • Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
  • Breathing problems
  • Bleeding

Risks for this surgery are:

  • A feeling that the limb is still there. This is called phantom sensation. Sometimes this feeling can be painful. That is called phantom pain.
  • The joint closest to the part that is amputated loses its range of motion, making it hard to move. This is called joint contracture.
  • Infection of the skin or bone.
  • The amputation wound does not heal properly.
  • Reviewed last on: 12/10/2010
  • C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Heck RK. General principles of amputations. In: Canale ST, Beatty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 9.

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