Model of nursing care for a patient after a lower limb amputation – a case study

Lower limb amputation, i.e. surgical removal of a part or the entire organ, affects an increasing number of patients, especially in old age. Currently, approximately 90% of amputations of the lower limb are performed due to existing complications of vascular diseases. In Poland, there are about a million people suffering from atherosclerosis and about 3 million people with diabetes, the second most common cause of limb removal. The most common causes of other subtractions are injuries, tumours, and malformations.

After surgery, the patient is faced with many physical and psychological problems, especially in terms of independent functioning and a significant change in the appearance of his/her body, which is why it is so important to accurately recognise patient care problems and properly planned and implemented nursing interventions that will allow the patient to quickly return to independence, and thus will reduce the frequency of re-hospitalisations.

The aim of the study is to present nursing care for a patient after amputation of a lower limb based on a case study.