How to: Prevent infections
It is important that you do not touch the wound
while your residual limb is healing as this will help prevent infections. The
nurses will monitor and dress the wound regularly using sterile techniques. You
should not interfere with these dressings. Maintaining the hygiene of your residual limb is important
as perspiration and the “dirt and grime” of daily activities can lead to wounds
and an infection. Do not soak your residual limb for long periods of time as
this makes the skin soft and increases the chance of the skin breaking down. It
is important to wash your residual limb daily with soap and water, rinse it and
dry it carefully. The best time to clean your residual limb is at night. It
should not be washed in the morning unless a residual limb sock is worn.
The residual limb must be thoroughly dry before applying the socket. If you
find that you are perspiring a lot during the day then remove the socket and
pat the residual limb dry.
Don’t: Touch your wound while your
residual limb is healing
Don’t: Soak your residual limb
Don’t:
Do: Maintain hygiene by washing your
residual limb nightly with soap and water & dry carefully
How to: Care for your residual limb
It is important that you care for
your residual limb to prevent problems such as sensitivity, wound breakdown or
infection following your surgery. To decrease any
sensitivity in your residual limb, it is important that you begin to touch the intact
skin. Later, staff will teach you to touch and massage your residual limb once
it is has healed enough. If you’re residual limb is extremely sensitive and
painful to touch your therapist should be able to give you exercises to reduce
the sensitivity. This may involve touching or rubbing cream into your residual
limb, or rubbing different fabrics on your skin such as a towel when you are
drying your skin after a shower or bath.
Do: Touch and massage your residual limb
Do: Ask your therapist to teach you exercises that decrease
sensitivity
How to: Prevent Scar or Wound Breakdown
Your scar or wound can breakdown due to an increase
in pressure on part of the residual limb. If your scar becomes stuck to the bone underneath it
increases the chance of rubbing over that area, particularly when you wear your
prosthesis. Changes in body weight can
also affect the fit of your prosthesis and increase pressure points on your
residual limb.
Massaging over your scar can prevent your scar from sticking
to the bone. Always check your skin when you remove your prosthesis for any
excessive redness, pressure points, irritation, swelling or skin breakdown. You
should not shave your residual limb as this can also cause skin breakdown and a
wound. If you do notice any wounds or
pressure areas developing you should contact your prosthetist and/or Amputee
Clinic for a review. It is best not to
put this off, so if there is a waiting time have your residual limb reviewed by
your GP or Community Nurse and try to reduce the amount of time you spend
wearing your prosthesis. If you notice that you have lost or gained a
reasonable amount of weight you should also let your clinic or medical
practitioner know.
Do: Massage over your scar
Do: Check your skin every time you
remove your prosthesis
Do: Contact your prosthetist/ Amputee clinic
if you notice any changes to your residual limb or prosthesis
Do: Inform your clinic or medical
practitioner if you lose or gain weight
How to: Care of your intact limb
It is important to care for your
intact limb in order to prevent the need for further amputation. Make sure you check
your intact limb every time you remove your footwear for any excessive redness,
pressure points, irritation, swelling or skin breakdown. It is very important to do this if you have
poor sensation in your limb due to a medical condition such as diabetes.
It is also important to clean and
dry your intact limb and replace your socks and shoes before they get worn out. Your
local doctor can refer you to a podiatrist (chiropodist) to make sure your foot
is checked regularly. If you notice any wounds or pressure areas developing you
should contact your GP straight away. It may be possible to get custom made
footwear for the intact limb to aid in the use of the prosthesis. Your
rehabilitation specialist can help you with this request.
Do: Check your intact limb every time you remove footwear
Do: Clean and dry your intact limb
Do: Ask your local doctor or podiatrist to check your intact limb regularly