The Lasting Effects of Amputations
The effects of an amputation on a patient’s life are often profound and long-lasting. First, there are the obvious physical complications that come from losing a body part. Amputations can cause chronic pain, phantom limb pain syndrome, and other post-amputation sensory issues. Depending on the amputated body part, balance issues can lead to a heightened risk of falls and subsequent injury.
Although prosthetic devices and technology have advanced dramatically in the last several decades, they cannot yet mimic the human body’s natural and fine motor functions. As such, many amputees cannot return to work in the same capacity as before their accident, even with an artificial limb.
Beyond these considerable physical impairments, a severe injury requiring amputation can also cause long-lasting economic damage and hardship to individuals and their families, significantly reducing their earning potential. Already in a financial bind, many amputees find it challenging to pay for prosthetic devices and repairs. After a leg amputation, a new prosthetic leg costs between $5,000 and $50,000, while state-of-the-art devices can add tens of thousands of dollars to that price tag.
Beyond the physical and financial effects of amputation, there are the lasting mental health consequences of an amputation injury. Amputations are traumatic and life-changing. Coping with the loss of a part of oneself can be emotionally painful. It can lead to the development of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to phantom pain or residual limb pain.
All told, the financial, physical, and emotional costs of a traumatic amputation can be considerable – and no one should have to bear them if someone else is to blame.
