Severe auto accidents can have devastating impacts on your legs. Sometimes, your legs might need intensive surgery or even need to be amputated. If you’ve recently been in a severe accident in San Antonio, it’s important to know the impact of amputation and the circumstances that could lead to it.
Why would a leg be amputated?
Personal injuries that involve the legs range in severity. For example, a broken leg won’t require an amputation. But if the injury is too severe, your doctor or surgeon might look into removing it to improve your total health. Injuries to your leg that might cause it to be removed include:
- Extreme nerve damage that inhibits your ability to move that leg at all
- Infection that’s at risk of getting worse or spreading to other areas of your leg or body
- Loss of motor skills in that leg or part of it
Before an amputation is done, it’s generally assumed that you’d have a better quality of life without it. This can either mean an easier time getting around after adjusting to a prosthetic or not having as much pain. In the cases of infections, it might be easier to remove the leg than try to treat the infection and risk it spreading.
What sorts of accidents put you at risk for amputation?
Leg amputation after a severe motor vehicle accident isn’t necessarily uncommon. Some other accidents that might put you at risk of losing a limb include but are not limited to:
- Motorcycle accidents
- Work accidents involving power tools or machinery
- Extreme falls
In these cases, your doctor will discuss all of your options with you. It’s rare for amputation to be the first option, but in some cases, it’s the better alternative.
If you’re looking at leg amputation, it’s important to know what to expect as far as your recovery and quality of life after the surgery. It’s also worth talking with a lawyer if you’re worried about getting compensation from insurance or other parties.