Amputation Care

Deciding whether to pursue limb salvage or amputation is one of the most significant choices you may face after a severe injury. Our orthopaedic trauma consultants provide honest, compassionate guidance if you’re considering:

• Primary amputation following severe trauma: When extensive damage to bone, soft tissue or blood vessels makes meaningful recovery of limb use unlikely
• Amputation after attempted limb salvage: When previous reconstructive procedures haven’t restored enough movement, comfort or practical use
• Elective amputation for chronic conditions: When persistent pain, infection or difficulty using the limb means amputation may offer a better quality of life than continued treatment.

At Cleveland Clinic London, we believe in shared decision-making. You'll have time to discuss realistic expectations, understand how treatment is likely to affect your day-to-day life and make choices aligned with what matters most to you.

A Team Approach to Care

Your personalised, consultant-led care team may include a wide range of specialists who will care for you throughout your journey. Your team may include:

• Orthopaedic surgeons
• Plastic surgeons
• Vascular surgeons
• Peripheral nerve neurosurgeons
• Pain management specialists
• Interventional radiologists
• Physiotherapists and occupational therapists
• Rehabilitation assistants
• Prosthetists
• Psychologists
• Dieticians
• Amputation and rehab physicians/consultants
• Specialist nurses

From the start, our surgeons and rehabilitation specialists work as one team, ensuring your care is coordinated at every stage. Before surgery, you’ll meet with prosthetists, physiotherapists and physicians alongside your surgical team. Together, you’ll plan the level of amputation, how the wound will be closed and your rehabilitation pathway, keeping your future prosthetic needs in mind.

Our orthopaedic trauma and plastic surgery teams combine their expertise to achieve optimal bone length, good soft tissue coverage and effective wound healing. Using the latest evidence-based techniques, including myoplastic (muscle-to-muscle) wound closure, we create a stable, comfortable residual limb that supports prosthetic use and helps improve comfort, mobility and overall quality of life.

Pain management

Many people experience ongoing pain after an amputation. This can include nerve-related pain (neuroma), sensations where the limb still feels present (phantom limb), changes in how the limb feels or seems shorter (telescoping), or conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome. We offer the latest procedures to help reduce these types of pain, including:

• Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR): Redirecting nerve signals to reduce pain and improve prosthetic control
• Regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI): Creating new nerve pathways to minimise neuropathic pain
• Nerve management strategies: Managing nerves during the procedure and using pain relief, including administration through devices such as nerve sheath catheters where appropriate, to keep you as comfortable as  possible

Recovery After Amputation

Recovery after limb loss can be physically and emotionally challenging and often requires months of coordinated, intensive integrated therapy. At Cleveland Clinic London, we provide comprehensive medical and psychological care at every stage of your rehabilitation.

Your surgical team remains involved throughout your care, managing any complications, carrying out revisions if needed and offering further procedures to achieve the best possible results. As you become more active and your prosthetic needs change, we continue to support you with any concerns about your residual limb.

Stages of rehabilitation

Immediately following amputation surgery, we focus on your healing, comfort and emotional well-being.

This stage includes:  

• Wound care, infection prevention and residual limb protection
• Support for the physical and emotional impact of limb loss
• Safe transfers (bed to wheelchair) and personal care independence
• Management of stump and phantom limb pain using medication and holistic approaches

After your wound heals, we shape your residual limb and help you build strength and mobility through therapy. Your prosthesis is then designed and fitted with a temporary socket and adjusted before moving to a permanent fit.

We tailor components to your goals, which may include:

• Activity-specific prosthetics
• Microprocessor-controlled knees and ankles
• Upper-limb bionics

Once your prosthesis is ready, you will begin training with your care team, focusing on fit, comfort and movement.

You will learn how to:

• Put on and remove your prosthesis
• Care for your residual limb and skin
• Manage discomfort and pain
• Maintain strength and mobility
• Support sleep, mood and overall well-being
• Carry out daily activities with your new limb

Revision Surgery

Sometimes an initial amputation may need refinement to improve comfort or function. We offer:

• Bone spur removal or bone reshaping
• Soft tissue revision for better socket fit
• Scar tissue management
• Treatment of neuromas, infection or wound healing problems

Paying for Amputation Care at Cleveland Clinic London

We make it easier to receive expert amputation care in the U.K. with convenient options to self-pay or use private medical insurance. If you are coming to us from another country, our Global Patient Services can help coordinate your visit and treatment.

Taking the Next Step

We understand that coming to terms with limb loss or possible surgery can feel overwhelming. If you are considering amputation, experiencing complications after a previous surgery or wondering whether a revision procedure may help, our team is here for you. We can go over your options and support you in making informed decisions. From your first consultation through to long-term rehabilitation, we are committed to providing expert, compassionate care tailored to your needs.