Limb Salvage

Limb salvage, or limb salvage surgery, repairs or restores a leg or arm severely damaged by injury or disease. It can prevent amputation and help your body heal quickly. At Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, the vascular surgeons and wound care specialists use limb salvage to help patients achieve satisfactory treatment outcomes and promote healing. Call the office in McAllen or Rio Grande City, Texas, to schedule a limb salvage consultation, or book your appointment online.

What is limb salvage surgery?

Limb salvage surgery is a type of complex wound care. Your Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, provider could recommend it if you have a severe leg or arm injury or disease that might call for amputation. The goal is to save your arm or leg without affecting your health and prevent complications like infection.

Am I a candidate for limb salvage surgery?

The Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, team might recommend limb salvage surgery if you have bone cancer or another aggressive illness that affects the limb’s function. It can also be used to treat complex wounds, like third-degree burns, diabetic ulcers, and severe infections.

Limb salvage is a treatment of last resort, so your provider first tries to manage your symptoms with less invasive procedures.

How do I prepare for limb salvage surgery?

If the Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, team determines you’re a candidate for limb salvage surgery, they complete a preoperative assessment.

This incorporates several screenings to gather a complete picture of your health, including blood work, urinalysis, and diagnostic imaging. Tell your provider if you take prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication and if you smoke or drink alcohol. 

Next, your provider walks you through the procedure, makes you aware of potential risks and side effects, and has you sign a consent form.

What happens during limb salvage surgery?

Limb salvage surgery is tailored to your symptoms and needs.

On the day of your procedure, you’re admitted to a hospital. An anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia, causing you to fall asleep. Your surgeon removes any diseased tissue (for example, a cancerous tumor or infected tissue) and then begins reconstruction. This can involve:

Revascularization

If you’ve lost blood flow to your affected limb, your vascular surgeon repairs blood vessels and restores circulation.

Microsurgery

Microsurgery is used to repair damaged nerves and blood vessels. Your surgeon removes these tissues from another part of your body and transplants them to the affected limb.

Grafting

If there’s missing bone or skin, your surgeon will complete a bone or skin graft. They remove healthy tissue from another part of your body or use donor tissue to make repairs.

Prosthesis

A metal or plastic prosthesis will be necessary if your surgeon replaces a damaged bone or joint. These artificial components restore your mobility and limb length.

What is recovery like after limb salvage surgery?

After limb salvage surgery, you’ll spend a night or two in the hospital. Then, you’ll begin physical therapy. Physical therapy uses stretches, strengthening exercises, and other activities to restore limb function and speed healing.

Call the nearest Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, office to schedule a limb salvage consultation, or book your appointment online today.