Are Amputations Due to Injury or Illness Always Necessary?

The loss of a limb is a traumatic experience that affects a person physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The visual absence of an amputated limb can be extremely distressing to an individual, and may affect the way a person copes on a day to day person as well as self-esteem. Additionally, the loss of a limb obviously affects a person physically because it can create many difficulties in their every day lives. It may be difficult to dress themselves, drive a car, walk, write, or perform their every day jobs. In some cases, people may have to quit their jobs if they are unable to perform their duties anymore due to amputation. Sometimes amputation is necessary due to injury or illness. 

However, are amputations that occur always necessary? The fact is that they are not. According to the American Diabetes Foundation, up to 85% of amputations performed on diabetic patients are preventable. That statistic is staggering. When amputation unnecessarily occurs, it is considered medical malpractice. 

The Trauma of Losing a Limb

Anyone can imagine that losing a limb is a traumatic experience that an individual will deal with for the rest of their lives. Amputation is life altering, and affects every aspect of a person’s life. It can affect their relationships, their job status, their ability to function independently (i.e. drive a car, walk, prepare a meal, etc). The loss of a limb makes every aspect of a person’s life more challenging. Additionally, the loss of a limb creates great potential for infection and wound healing issues, along with pain due to phantom limb sensation. 

Reasons for Unnecessary Amputation

There are many causes of unnecessary amputation. It is considered unnecessary when a physician could have chosen an alternative route to save the limb rather than amputate. 

Examples of this are as follows:

• Failing to see alternative medical treatments, rather than resorting to amputation (i.e. revascularization for a diabetic patient)
• Misdiagnosis of a condition, thinking it was one that required amputation when it in fact did not
• Failing to diagnose a condition, leading to a delay in treatment that then results in the need for amputation
• Surgical errors
• Performing the wrong procedure, meaning a less traumatic procedure could have been performed instead of amputation
• Amputating the wrong limb (wrong site surgery)
• Misreading imaging and other test results, believing that amputation is necessary when it in fact is not
• Failing to use a more conservative approach before resorting to amputation
• Failing to diagnose an infection (i.e. sepsis), leading to the need for amputation

The bottom line is, unnecessary amputations occur quite frequently and patients suffer due to these unnecessary amputations. They acquire additional expenses (i..e need for prosthetics, wheelchair, need for physical therapy, loss of income if their job was affected, etc.). This is unacceptable and is due to pure negligence, which is why physicians responsible for these unnecessary amputations should be providing these patients with monetary compensation to cover these new expenses.

Amputations Due to Injury or Illness in Oregon

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.