Amputations
When Injuries Take a Turn for the Worst, our Attorneys Can Help
Amputation typically occurs when a limb is removed because of an extreme trauma from a vehicle accident or is required because of medical intervention, when suffering for a bacterial infection, such as gangrene. An amputation generally stops the spreading of a virus or disease and is usually used as a last resort to save a life.
What is Amputation?
Defined: Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for such problems.
What are Types of Amputation?
Traumatic Amputation – refers to the way in which the amputation has occurred and its usually a sudden, violent and unexpected event that causes the loss of a person’s limbs.
Some Cause of a Traumatic Amputation:
- Accidents involving machinery, often in the workplace
- Road traffic accidents
- Explosions or other blast injuries
- Electric shocks
- Becoming trapped in building or car doors
For example, it could be that an injury sustained was only strong enough to remove a limb partially and therefore in the first instance it would be surgically reattached. In some complete traumatic amputation cases, surgeons can even attempt to reattach a previously severed but preserved limb via a method called ‘replantation surgery’. Such treatments are often very successful but, unfortunately, that may not always be the case.
It could be possible that a matter of weeks or months after the initial injury, it may become clear that a limb has lost its full and useful function, or that the person is now enduring insufferable pain. Following which, a decision could be made to amputate.
Some surgical amputations are even carried out many years after the initial injury. As an example, a person may have initially undergone major joint reconstruction. As their condition deteriorates over time a joint replacement may become necessary, but due to their injuries, the limb has been weakened and therefore unable to withstand further surgery, making surgical amputation the only option.
Surgical Amputation – this type of amputation has been vital to the medical practice for thousands of years. It was once a very common practice however since the medical field has advanced, it has become a lot less frequent.
The most common reason for amputation in the Florida is through complications with the blood vessels. In particular, this is when the blood’s supply to the limb has been lost and causes an extremely debilitating symptom called ‘necrosis’, which is when cells within living tissue die prematurely.
A surgical amputation can be also necessary after a person has suffered from a traumatic injury, and they can be carried out as part of the immediate emergency treatment to save the person’s life or because their bones, tissues—or both—have been so badly damaged that they cannot later be reconstructed. However, surgical amputation is usually considered to be a last resort, and if it is believed that a limb can be saved, surgeons will first try to do so.
For example, it could be that an injury sustained was only strong enough to remove a limb partially and therefore in the first instance it would be surgically reattached. In some complete traumatic amputation cases, surgeons can even attempt to reattach a previously severed but preserved limb via a method called ‘replantation surgery’. Such treatments are often very successful but, unfortunately, that may not always be the case.
It could be possible that a matter of weeks or months after the initial injury, it may become clear that a limb has lost its full and useful function, or that the person is now enduring insufferable pain. Following which, a decision could be made to amputate.
Some surgical amputations are even carried out many years after the initial injury. As an example, a person may have initially undergone major joint reconstruction. As their condition deteriorates over time a joint replacement may become necessary, but due to their injuries, the limb has been weakened and therefore unable to withstand further surgery, making surgical amputation the only option.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury that required an amputation, it is imperative that you contact our Office at 1-855-495-FREE (3733) for a FREE 15-minute consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.
