Amputation – Loss of Limb Litigation

In most instances amputation is thought of as the removal of a body part via surgery or trauma. It is usually performed to stop the spread of a disease or limit an existing malady.

Amputation has a rather colorful history starting in the 15th century when doctors performed surgical intervention on gangrenous or severely injured limbs. “Needless to say the results were often less than perfect due to infection and major blood loss,” indicated Christopher Mellino, of the Mellino Law Firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Amputations weren’t performed with any degree of frequency until the 19th century when anesthesia was introduced into the equation and blood loss and infection control became more effective.

By the time the 20th century rolled around, the better the medicine, the better the amputations – often resulting in prosthetic limbs and longer, healthier lives. In the 21st century the major reasons for amputations include gangrene, diabetic foot infections, bone infections, cancerous bone or soft tissue tumors and traumatic limb injuries. This is difficult enough to have done if a person is expecting this type of surgery. Imagine what would happen if a patient woke up in the hospital after what they thought was routine surgery, and found they were missing an extremity?

“The results of amputation, even if expected, may result in catastrophic emotional trauma, not to mention the resultant physical limitations,” said Mellino. If a person was not expecting to lose a limb and wakes up missing an arm, foot or leg, the results are devastating. More than 50% of those who have had an amputation suffer from the phantom limb phenomenon, where the patient feels the missing extremity, even if it is no longer there. This may involve the very real feelings of burning, itching and aching.

Aside from the real possibility of a limb being amputated by mistake, there is also the chance that an amputation does not go as expected, and the results are less than optimum. “Medical negligence may play a part in cases such as this, but these are matters best discussed with a highly trained medical malpractice attorney,” added Christopher Mellino, of the Mellino Law Firm in Cleveland, Ohio. It is important that patients in situations such as this know their rights, know what compensation they may be entitled to and know that their legal counsel will go to the mat for them to ensure justice is done.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 4:08 pm and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.