[The psychosocial characteristics of the patient who has undergone amputation for vascular reasons. The work, family and sex life aspects]. / Características psicosociales del paciente amputado de causa vascular. Aspectos laborales, familiares y de la vida sexual.

ABSTRACT

Forty-one amputee patients because vascular disease, 20 of them diabetics and 21 non-diabetics, with a mean of 68 years, were studied--from psychosocial aspect--by interviewing them 3 or 4 years after their amputation. Different factors were evaluated, like prosthesis usage, personal cares that patient could do by him self, home activities made by the patients, sexual life quality and labor status. For this evaluation different variables were considered, like age, sex, scholar level, familial economic level, original pathology, amputation level, stump status and phantom [correction of fantasm] limb perception. The most important variables correlated with good psychosocial conditions of amputee patients are noted, and considerations and recommendations for a rehabilitation program are established.