Amputation and the prevention of phantom pain.

Although it has been proposed that preoperative analgesia with epidural administration of analgesics may prevent long-term phantom pain, published results to date have been contradictory and controversial. In this case report, we describe a 41-year-old man with local recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus who underwent a hemipelvectomy. Preoperatively he had a significant neuropathic pain syndrome requiring oxycodone 60 mg every 4 hours. An epidural infusion of morphine and bupivacaine was started 24 hours preoperatively and discontinued on the third postoperative day. Over the next 10 days the oxycodone was gradually decreased and eventually discontinued prior to discharge. A review of the literature reveals conflicting reports on the benefit of preoperative epidural pain management in the prevention of postoperative pain syndromes. Conflicting research and conclusions of commentators leaves unanswered questions for clinicians. Nevertheless, we do know that we need to provide the best pain relief for patients both before and after amputation. This may require a combination of the oral, subcutaneous or intravenous, and epidural routes.

Traumatic hemipelvectomy before body image has developed.

Traumatic hemipelvectomy is rarely observed because very few patients have survived from the initial trauma. We describe one male child who survived from this massive trauma with a good functional outcome. The boy was 28 months old when he was accidentally struck by a truck. He had severe open trauma of the pelvis and hemorrhage of the left lower limb. Amputation of the left hemipelvis, colostomy, cystostomy and removal of the left avulsed testicle were performed. Once healing had been achieved, he was transferred to our Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and rehabilitative management was begun, including prosthetic measurement and psychologic intervention for the patient and his parents. For 13 years of long-term follow-up, his prosthesis was readjusted annually. Now he is a 16-year-old middle school student. He is functioning remarkably well with a prosthesis. The psychologic report shows that he is emotionally stable and has good scholastic performance. Although hemipelvectomy appears to be a radical procedure in children, the potential for rehabilitation in a group of children before body image has developed appears to be unexpectedly good.

Hemipelvectomy images of loss caused by war.

As we treat our 230th patient from the Syrian conflict, the pathology we see is more debilitating and the humanitarian needs of the wounded have become even more obvious. This case presents some graphic images of the realities of war. Care in the most advanced units cannot restore broken limbs, let alone broken lives. We present a case of a young war-injured man, who suffered severe crush injury to the pelvis and lower limb, arriving at our medical facility after a delay of hours. The lower limb was shattered from the pelvis down (essentially a traumatic hemipelvectomy). His life had been saved in Syria by ligation of the femoral vessels in an unknown facility by an unknown medical team. On arrival in a centre in Israel for definitive care of an unsalvageable leg, formal hemipelvectomy was performed.

Hemipelvic amputations for recalcitrant pelvic osteomyelitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of recalcitrant deep pelvic infection that required a hemipelvic amputation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre; Level I trauma. PATIENTS: There were 20 patients with an infection of the pelvic girdle who developed life-threatening sepsis or had an intolerable existence due to putrefied tissues that prevented end of life care. All patients failed other more conservative treatments such as limited debridement and local wound care. The indication for amputation was life-threatening sepsis (eight patients), intolerable state with putrid tissue (four patients), and both sepsis/putrefaction (eight patients). INTERVENTION: A hemipelvic amputation, multidrug antibiotic treatment, and long-term suppression. Ten internal hemipelvectomies, eight external hemipelvectomies, and two hemicorporectomies were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Survival and recurrence of infection. RESULTS: Six patients died within 6 months (mean time 17 weeks, range 2-24). The 14 surviving patients had a mean follow-up time of 28 weeks (9-48). Of these, 10 patients survived with no evidence of ongoing infection, and four patients had ongoing infection requiring suppressive antibiotics. All of the six deaths were in C-hosts with an average of six comorbidities each; mean age was 62 years old. Aetiologies of the infection were vasculopathy (5), spinal cord injury (4), post fracture (3), post abdominal surgery (2), gunshot wound (2), seeding from bacteraemia (4). Cierny-Mader host class was C (11) and B systemic/local (9) with an average of four (4) comorbidities each. Mean estimated blood loss=3100 cc and operative time=157 min. There were 11 cases of minor wound problems and no flap loss. Pathogens were polymicrobial (16 total pathogens) with mean of three per patient (most common was MRSA). Multi-agent antibiotic and suppression were used in all patients. In cases with putrefied tissues, appropriate nursing care was possible. CONCLUSION: Patients requiring hemipelvectomies usually present with sepsis or an intolerable state. Despite expected complications, we found that hemipelvectomy is an effective palliative tool in selected cases. Age and vascular disease seemed to be associated with worse outcomes.

Hemicorporectomy for functional rehabilitation.

Hemicorporectomy is usually performed as a last resort for life-threatening diseases. A case is reported in which this deforming traumatic procedure was performed in a 66-year-old man for functional and rehabilitation reasons rather than life-saving indications. The indications for the procedure, the patient's decision-making, the preoperative preparation of the patient, both physically and psychologically, the preparation of the family and the rehabilitation procedures are summarized.

Total hip disarticulation prosthesis with suction socket: report of two cases.

A majority of hip disarticulations are performed in young people, with malignancy being the most common cause. The exoskeletal Canadian Hip Disarticulation prosthesis had been widely used as a standard total hip disarticulation prosthesis until recently when an endoskeletal modular version became the prosthesis of choice. However, the "basket-shaped" socket provided by the standard total hip disarticulation prostheses has been a source of discomfort and a reason for prosthetic rejection by many patients. This report concerns two patients with true lower limb disarticulation at the hip joint. Both of the patients failed to adapt to the standard total hip disarticulation prosthesis but successfully used a new total contact suction socket design. This new prosthesis provided improved suspension, better patient compliance, and enhanced prosthetic acceptance and mobility.

Hemipelvectomy. Postoperative rehabilitation assessed on the basis of 41 cases.

Rehabilitation was evaluated on the basis of 41 consecutive hemipelvectomies for malignant tumours. Owing to early metastasization and death, 11 patients were not supplied with prostheses, while prosthetic fitting was attempted in the remaining 30. Of this number 27 completed prosthetic training, with the result that 15 used their prosthesis, while 12 discarded it after some time, six because of poor general health owing to recurrence of the tumours and six because they felt that the prosthesis was too heavy and difficult to wear. Twenty-three returned to work. After elimination of the most severely tumour-affected patients, there were 19 one-year survivors without recurrence. Thirteen of them were using their prosthesis every day, and thirteen had gone back to work. Serious mental sequelae were found in five patients, including four with long-lasting exogenous depressions and one with anxiety neurosis.

[Traumatic hemipelvectomy and postoperative quality of life. Report of 2 cases 18 years after trauma]. / Traumatische Hemipelvektomie und die postoperative Lebensqualität. Bericht über 2 Fälle 18 Jahre nach dem Trauma.

Report and progress of 2 traumatic hemipelvectomies in motor-cyclists with excluding extraperitoneal tearing of half of the pelvis and disrupture of the pelvic vessels for 18 years. The purpose of this case study was the analysis of the quality of life, the clinical complications and the reintegration of the 2 patients 18 years after traumatic hemipelvectomy.

Hemicorporectomy.

In hemicorporectomy, or translumbar amputation, the bony pelvis, pelvic contents, lower extremities, and external genitalia are removed following disarticulation of the lumbar spine and transection of the spinal cord. Malignancies of the pelvic organs, skin, or musculoskeletal structures, usually locally advanced, may be indications for hemicorporectomy. The absence of systemic metastasis must be demonstrated before considering hemicorporectomy. Sacral decubitus ulcers and other complications of paraplegia represent the most frequent benign indications. Hemicorporectomy is a complex, multistep procedure with significant physiologic and psychologic implications. Postoperative morbidity and mortality rates are high, partly because of the complexity of the procedure itself and partly due to the underlying disease. Detailed planning, from preoperative evaluation to rehabilitation, is the key to a successful outcome. The procedure may be carried out in one stage or in multiple stages, depending on the clinical circumstances. Multidisciplinary collaboration of many health care professionals should be part of the planning process and must be carefully coordinated. Postoperative management requires particular attention to fluid replacement, temperature control, and pulmonary care. Posthospitalization rehabilitation includes the design and construction of a bucket prosthesis. Long-term management issues involve hypertension, weight gain, temperature control, stoma management, and skin care.

Traumatic hemipelvectomy before body image has developed

Traumatic hemipelvectomy is rarely observed because very few patients have survived from the initial trauma. We describe one male child who survived from this massive trauma with a good functional outcome. The boy was 28 months old when he was accidentally struck by a truck. He had severe open trauma of the pelvis and hemorrhage of the left lower limb. Amputation of the left hemipelvis, colostomy, cystostomy and removal of the left avulsed testicle were performed. Once healing had been achieved, he was transferred to our Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and rehabilitative management was begun, including prosthetic measurement and psychologic intervention for the patient and his parents. For 13 years of long-term follow-up, his prosthesis was readjusted annually. Now he is a 16-year-old middle school student. He is functioning remarkably well with a prosthesis. The psychologic report shows that he is emotionally stable and has good scholastic performance. Although hemipelvectomy appears to be a radical procedure in children, the potential for rehabilitation in a group of children before body image has developed appears to be unexpectedly good.