Revision Amputation Surgery
While amputation is effective at controlling pain and stopping the spread of infection following a serious injury or illness, it is not a risk-free procedure. And if something does go wrong after the primary amputation procedure, revision surgery is performed to correct it.
Reasons to Have Revision Amputation Surgery
Revision amputation surgery is only used when the source of a patient’s pain is detectable—meaning that the phantom pain sensation that many patients feel after amputation does not always require a second surgical procedure to correct, as it can cease over time or with physical therapy.
Operable conditions include:
- Wound infection
- Bone spurs
- Cysts
- Prominent bone in the area
- Necrosis
- Fissuring and ulceration
- Neuroma (thickening of nerve tissue)
- Painful scars
- Heterotopic ossification (bone growth within soft tissue structures where it should not grow)
Revision surgery can also be performed when the stump heals in such a way that a prosthetic limb cannot properly fit onto it.
Procedure Details
The nature of a patient’s stump revision amputation surgery will vary based on his or her individual needs. Procedures that can be performed include:
- Wound debridement
- Bone spur removal
- Skin grafting or muscle flaps
- Wedge resection
- Neuroma excision (removal of a benign nerve tumor)
- Soft tissue shaping
What to Expect With Revision Amputation Surgery
Revision surgery, like all procedures, does carry a set of risks, including:
- Blood clotting (hematoma)
- Bleeding
- Pain
- Infection
- Complications from anesthesia
Effectiveness of Revision Amputation Surgery
Each patient’s recovery time will vary based on their condition and their overall health, but revision surgery is generally effective at relieving pain and reshaping the affected area to better accommodate a prosthetic limb or extremity.
At Tampa General Hospital, our world-class team of orthopaedic, general and vascular surgeons can expertly treat patients who require revision amputation surgery with board-certified expertise and cutting-edge technology.