Limb Loss Services

If your medical condition is not improving -- for instance, a foot wound or infection is not responding to treatment -- you may be considering amputation. We can meet with you and your caregivers to discuss your options and the process. You can also connect with a peer amputee group or advocate to learn about the implications of living with limb loss. 

Before surgery, we will review your questions and discuss your path to recovery. After your amputation, your surgeon will provide specific instructions for your post-operative care. Four to six weeks later, you will come to our clinic to assess your needs for recovery. Once healing from surgery is complete, you can be evaluated for a prosthesis. 

If you need specialized health care, we can connect you with the appropriate medical professionals at Duke Health. We routinely work with endocrinologists, infectious disease experts, pain management specialists, dietitians, psychologists, wound management providers, and vascular specialists to address your individual needs. We can also refer you for a wheelchair and seating evaluation or a driving evaluation to determine if and when you can return to driving. 

You will meet with our prosthetic team, which includes a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, a physical therapist, and a prosthetist -- a provider specifically trained to work with prostheses. We evaluate your goals and create your individualized plan for achieving them. Your plan may include an exercise program, physical therapy, and meetings with support groups.  

We will teach you how to care for and manage your prosthesis to optimize function, maximize comfort, and protect your residual limb. We also offer therapy services and prosthetic evaluations and recommendations for replacement devices.