Losing an arm or a leg can be life-changing, but you don’t have to face the future alone or without help. Those who have had a recent amputation may experience a wide range of physical, emotional, psychological and social challenges. The physical medicine and rehabilitation experts at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, understand how to treat you holistically to help you reach personal, professional and recreational goals following an amputation.
Whether you’re looking for therapy services before an amputation, need inpatient rehabilitation care at our award-winning Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital after amputation surgery or want to work with our experienced therapists at our outpatient gyms, we have you covered during this important recovery time. Our rehabilitation team will help you regain as much of your function, independence and well-being as possible.
What is amputee rehabilitation at Ohio State?
Roughly 2 million people in the United States live with an amputation, and we know people can thrive following the loss of limb if they have the appropriate physical and mental supports in place. While recovering from a traumatic or surgical amputation can take months and require hard work from you and a therapy team, at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we want to make that recovery period as seamless and productive as we can.
Our specialty amputee program offers rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy as well as assistive-device customization and mental health care, to help in each phase of your rehabilitation. These services are provided by physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors), therapists and other staff who have special training and certifications to work with people dealing with limb loss. They can help you achieve your highest level of recovery.
Who is eligible for amputee rehabilitation?
Anyone who needs physical and emotional support after the loss of a limb due to an accident, illness, military injury, birth defect or surgery for cancer can be a candidate for amputee rehabilitation. Our comprehensive rehabilitation care treats people with these types of amputations:
- Foot or ankle
- Leg, either below or above the knee, or at the hip
- Fingers, hand or wrist
- Arm, either below or above the elbow, or at the shoulder
Finding the right type of amputee rehabilitation
At Ohio State, we focus on a continuum of amputee care, providing treatments and services wherever you are in your rehabilitation journey. You may receive care here from surgery through recovery, or just for rehabilitation and therapy.
Acute rehabilitation after surgery
While in the hospital after your surgery, our acute rehabilitation team will teach you how to take care of your incision and residual limb. They will teach you how to check your skin and watch for problems. You will also begin learning to safely move around.
Inpatient rehabilitation at Dodd Hospital
The goal of inpatient rehabilitation is to return you to the highest quality of life at home, at work, and in the community. Our inpatient amputation rehabilitation, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), meets the highest standards in outcomes and safety. During your stay at Dodd, you’ll have access to many types of therapy and the most advanced technologies.
Inpatient therapy is intense, including therapy for at least three hours a day, five days a week, but our expert team will do all we can to support you, your family and your caregivers as you recover.
Outpatient rehabilitation
With outpatient rehabilitation services at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, your therapy program will be personalized to your needs and goals. Your team will work with you to develop your care plan. Family and caregivers are encouraged to take part and help along the way.
Your therapy goals may include:
- Working on activities that cause problems in your daily life
- Planning for your long-term needs
- Setting realistic expectations for living at home, self-care and staying safe in the community
- Exercise and training programs
- Recommending equipment and changes to your home
- Helping you continue to adapt and gain new skills
The time you spend in the clinic is designed to challenge you and give you things to work on at home. Also, sometimes people facing an amputation may even be asked to start the rehabilitation process before their amputation surgery. This is often called “pre-hab.”
Outstanding outcomes for amputee rehabilitation
- 74amputation patients served at Dodd in 2024
- 83patients served by outpatient amputation rehabilitation
- 7average number of outpatient visits in a care plan
- 11average number of weeks in outpatient treatment
- 85%of amputation and orthopedic patients were discharged to home or community
What to expect with amputation rehabilitation
We understand the loss of a limb, especially due to a traumatic injury or disease, can be extremely challenging; however, knowing what to expect during the recovery and rehabilitation period can help make the experience a bit easier.
Throughout your amputee rehabilitation care at Ohio State, you’ll work with dedicated clinicians who specialize in working with people with amputations.
Your amputation rehabilitation treatment team
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians whose goal is to help you improve mobility and quality of life following a debilitating illness or injuries
- Nurses who specialize in patient care, health promotion and disease prevention
- Physical therapists who can help you achieve maximum strength, balance and mobility
- Occupational therapists who can help you relearn how to complete activities of daily living
- Prosthetists who specialize in fitting, adjusting and the care of artificial limbs
- Pain management specialists who evaluate and treat severe, persistent and disabling pain
- Dietitians who specialize in nutrition and dietetics
- Counselors who provide a variety of rehabilitation psychology, counseling and support services
Our specialty amputation services
The care provided by our rehabilitation experts is comprehensive yet personalized, allowing you to heal physically and emotionally after an amputation. Your dedicated care team will meet with you and your support system during an initial consultation to determine your specific needs, challenges and goals. We’ll develop a customized treatment plan consisting of evidence-based therapies and some of the most advanced technology to get you back to living your life.
Your treatment plan may include a combination of:
- Consultation and evaluation, to happen at multiple points throughout your treatment to assess progress or setbacks
- Wound care, including residual limb wrapping and desensitization, as well as education about preventing complications
- Pain management, including learning techniques, such as mirror therapy, for minimizing phantom pain or phantom sensation
- Preparation for an artificial limb
- Customization, fitting and adjustment of artificial limbs, canes, wheelchairs and other assistive devices
- Physical therapy, including positioning, stretching and strengthening exercises, to help you regain as much mobility as possible
- Occupational therapy to help you engage in activities of daily living despite the loss of limb
- Rehabilitation psychology for counseling on the grief, feelings of loss and depression that can follow an amputation
- Social work to help you return to social functioning
- Driving rehabilitation
- Nutrition counseling
- Introduction to adaptive sports and exercise to promote an active lifestyle and encourage leisure
Why choose Ohio State’s specialty amputation rehabilitation program?
Ohio State’s team of physicians, nurses and therapists is specially trained for post-amputation care. Our program also includes certified prosthetists, who are experts in fitting and adjusting artificial limbs to improve comfort and enhance functional ability. Here are additional reasons why people choose Ohio State for help after the loss of a limb:
Unique services: Orthopedic surgeons, prosthetists and therapists work together to manage your care. This clinical team employs the most advanced, evidence-based practice model to provide leading rehabilitation services. Our clinical therapists offer innovative approaches while helping you with advanced prosthetic technology.
Accredited programs: We’re proud that our inpatient programs at Dodd and our outpatient programs are accredited by CARF, which recognizes our programs as meeting the highest standards in quality, safety and outcome measures. This shows we provide risk reduction and accountability in our patient care.
Comprehensive and holistic care: We treat the entire individual, whether you want a prosthetic device or not, need help going back to work or require treatment for mental health. About 41% of people who’ve had an amputation are at risk for anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, strained relationships and reduced quality of life. We have several certified rehabilitation psychologists on staff who can help you manage mental or emotional challenges.
Access to an entire academic medical center: Ohio State is a leader in advanced amputation care. If your amputation, especially if it was performed elsewhere, requires further surgical treatment to improve your quality of life, our orthopedic and plastic surgeons are some of the best in the nation. If your injury or condition requires any other medical discipline, you have easy access to a campus of experts.
