Amputation
| Amputation | |
|---|---|
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| Sgt. Jerrod Fields, an athlete and amputee. | |
| Specialty | Surgery
Physical medicine and rehabilitation Emergency medicine |
Amputation is the remuival o a limm bi trauma, medical ill, or surgery. As a surgical meisur, it is uised tae control pyne or a disease process in the affectit limm, sic as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is cairit oot on individuals as a prevenative surgery for sic problems. A speicial case is that o congenital amputation, a congenital disorder, whaur fetal limms hae been cut aff bi constrictive bands. In some kintras, amputation o the haunds, feet or ither bouk pairts is or wis uised as a form o puinishment for fowk wha committed crimes. Amputation haes awso been uised as a tactic in war an acts o terrorism; it can awso occur as a war injur. In some culturs an religions, minor amputations or mutilations are conseedered a ritual accomplishment.
Whan duin bi a person, the person follaein oot the amputation is an amputator. The amputatit person is cawed an amputee.
In the US, the majority o new amputations occur due tae complications o the vascular seestem (the bluid veshels), especially frae diabetes. Atween 1988 an 1996, thare war an average o 133,735 hospital discharges for amputation per year in the US. In 2005, just in the US, thare war 1.6 million amputees. In 2013, the US has 2.1 million amputees. Approximately 185,000 amputations occur in the United States each year. In 2009, hospital costs associated wi amputation totaled maire than $8.3 billion. Thare will be an estimated 3.6 million fowk in the US living wi limm loss bi 2050. African Americans are up tae fower times maire likely tae hae an amputation than European Americans.