Amputation - Above Knee

Amputation is performed to remove the diseased tissue and avert the spread of infection. Above-knee amputations are performed when the bloodstream is lacking in the lower leg, or infection is so grave that any attempt to heal is futile.

Why AKA is Necessary?

If an AKA is necessary, it is performed by a vascular or orthopaedic specialist. The unhealthy or seriously harmed piece of the limb is removed, while the orthopaedic surgeon tries to save the healthy tissue as much as he can. The specialist shapes the rest of the leg to permit the use of a prosthetic leg after recuperation.

The Necessity of AKA is backed by following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Tumour
• Contamination
• Gangrene
• Peripheral vascular infection
• A lethal Injury which causes the lower leg to smash or disjointed

How is AKA Performed?

Removal is done under general or spinal anaesthesia, which numbs the portion below the waist. The specialist removes the harmed tissue while sparing the healthy tissue. A specialist may utilise a few techniques to figure out where to cut and how much tissue to remove. The techniques are as follows:

• Checking for a heartbeat near where the cut is to be made
• Contrasting skin temperature of the influenced limb with the sound limb
• Searching for areas of reddened skin
• Preparing to make a cut
• Remove the infected tissue and any pulverised bone
• Smoothen up uneven zones of bone
• Close veins and nerves
• Cut and shape muscles with the goal that the stump, or end of the limb, should fit in a prosthetic.

Essential Postoperative Measures

Successful rehabilitation of the patient, who has experienced an above-knee amputation, requires an organised effort that should begin before the procedure. The group of surgeons and nurses must build up a positive association with the patient and family and incorporate them in the primary leadership process from the very beginning.

Rehabilitation efforts will result in the enhanced confidence in the patient. The team efforts will make the patient ready to acknowledge the removal and set practical goals for recuperation. The patient ought to be informed that a "ghost limb" will be felt after the affected limb is removed. It is a common occurrence in the people who had their leg removed.

Potential Risks and Complications of the AKA

• Non-healing wound.
• Phantom pain.
• Chronic pain.
• Phantom limb sensation
• Neuroma.
• Persistent infection.
• Need for higher amputation.
• Loss of mobility.
• Bleeding requiring transfusion.
• Complications like heart attack, stroke, or death.