14 Questions to Ask Your Prosthetist
Finding a prosthetist who understands the unique issues involved with limb amputation is important in getting the best functional outcome with your prostheses.
If you’ve had a finger or partial hand amputation, you could be a candidate for many different prosthetic options. There are various functional and specialty prostheses that are available, depending on the amount of hand remaining.
These prostheses have been designed to look like a natural limb and do not utilize movement.
These prostheses create movement manually, using components like cables, harnesses, and body movement.
These types of prostheses create movement by using external electricity, utilizing components like batteries, motors, and body sensors.
These types of prostheses combine the components of both body-powered and electrically powered prostheses, resulting in a more specialized prosthesis.
If you’ve had a below-the-elbow amputation, a prosthesis will need to replace the functions of both the wrist and the hand. There are many different prosthetic options available for people with below-the-elbow amputations
These prostheses have been designed to look like a natural limb and do not utilize movement.
These prostheses create movement manually, using components like cables, harnesses, and body movement.
These types of prostheses create movement by using external electricity, utilizing components like batteries, motors, and body sensors.
These types of prostheses combine the components of both body-powered and electrically powered prostheses, resulting in a more specialized prosthesis.
These prosthetic components are designed to fulfill specialty tasks without damage and are worn for specific work, sports, or specialized interests.
If you’ve had an above-the-elbow amputation, a prosthesis will need to replace the functions of the elbow, wrist, and hand. While more complex than other amputation levels, there are plenty of prosthetic options available to above-the-elbow amputees.
These prostheses have been designed to look like a natural limb and do not utilize movement.
These prostheses create movement manually, using components like cables, harnesses, and body movement.
These types of prostheses create movement by using external electricity, utilizing components like batteries, motors, and body sensors.
These types of prostheses combine the components of both body-powered and electrically powered prostheses, resulting in a more specialized prosthesis.
These prosthetic components are designed to fulfill specialty tasks without damage and are worn for specific work, sports, or specialized interests.
If you have an amputation at the shoulder level, the prosthesis needs to replace the functions of all the joints of the upper limb. This is the most complex upper limb prosthesis, but there are countless options available for this amputation level.
These prostheses have been designed to look like a natural limb and do not utilize movement.
These prostheses create movement manually, using components like cables, harnesses, and body movement.
These types of prostheses create movement by using external electricity, utilizing components like batteries, motors, and body sensors.
These types of prostheses combine the components of both body-powered and electrically powered prostheses, resulting in a more specialized prosthesis.
These prosthetic components are designed to fulfill specialty tasks without damage and are worn for specific work, sports, or specialized interests.
Most amputations are performed on people who have poor blood flow to their feet. This results in non-healing wounds. Non-healing wounds are susceptible to gangrene and other infections that threaten a person’s life.
In order to save a life, an amputation is performed.
MedEast will hold an informative session for patients and families to reassure them that there is life after amputation. Our experienced team will guide you through the prosthetic process and help arrange a peer visitor to speak to the patient and family.
After amputation when the wound is healed and the sutures come out, a prosthetic shrinker is applied to reduce edema in your limb and shape the limb.
Usually after two weeks of wearing a shrinker, the limb is ready to be measured and molded for the prosthetic socket.
A diagnostic (test) socket is used to assess the fit of the socket. Socket comfort is the best predictor of successful prosthetic use.
Walking in parallel bars allows the prosthetist to dynamically align the prosthesis so the patient is safe and stable. The socket is now ready for lamination to finalize the prosthesis. The patient would now get Physical Therapy to learn how to use the prosthesis safely.
Our goal at MedEast is to
GET YOU BACK TO BEING YOU!
At MedEast we care about you and understand that you may have questions about the prosthetic process. We hope you find this list of frequently asked questions helpful. Please contact us with any additional questions or concerns you may have or if you would like any additional information.
How long does the prosthetic process take?
The prosthetic process starts when your doctor clears the amputation site for weight bearing for lower limb amputations and pressure tolerance for upper extremity amputations. Therefore the start date is dependent upon each individuals healing time. Dysvascular patients typically heal slower than patients who have no vascular problems. Step one is to have a shrinker sock applied to help shape the limb, reduce swelling of the limb, and to get the patient to start handling their limb. For most new amputees, their first prosthesis is measured, fit, aligned, and delivered in their home. After about two weeks the limb is ready for measuring. The prosthetist will take your mold and make a diagnostic test socket. Once the socket fit is comfortable the test socket becomes the mold for the prosthetic socket. When the socket is finished the prosthetist will come back to your home with your components (foot and or knee) attached to it. The prosthetist will now get you standing and possibly walking that day depending upon each individual’s capabilities. If all goes well, the prosthesis is ready for delivery, and the patient is ready to be trained by a Physical therapist. From shrinker fitting to delivery it is usually around 6 weeks for new amputees. This time frame can be drastically reduced to about one to two weeks for experienced prosthetic wearers.
When do I start the process to get a prosthesis?
You can start the process as early as you like, pre or post amputation. We recommend speaking with different providers before ever getting your limb. Once you are comfortable with your prosthetist, the process begins. MedEast will perform an in-depth evaluation of your goals and your physical capabilities. Based on our findings, we will recommend various components, and suspension systems. As long as your wounds are healed and you are permitted to weight bear through the limb, you are ready to start walking.
Does my insurance pay for my prosthesis?
Most insurance policies cover prosthetics. The out of pocket costs, deductibles, and copays vary greatly. MedEast participates with most insurance companies in the tristate areas. In order to be 100% sure, we recommend contacting our billing team and they can give you a definitive answer specific to your policy.
How do I pick the right prosthetist?
The right prosthetist is the one you are most comfortable with. It is an important decision since this will be a long term relationship because prosthetic care is lifelong. Prosthetic facilities and the prosthetists they employ can vary greatly. At MedEast we offer no obligation consultations to amputees that wish to learn more about our approach to prosthetic care and customer service and to meet our team.
How long is the rehab process?
The rehab process can last as long as you continue to set goals and achieve them. If your goal is simply to walk around your home, your rehab process will be of shorter duration as opposed to someone whose goal it is to return to work as a carpenter or to run a 5K race.
How do I learn to use my prosthesis?
Once your prosthesis is completed, you should attend physical therapy to learn how to use it to avoid injuring yourself. For new amputees it is imperative that they receive PT. Physical Therapists will teach patients how to properly put on and remove the prosthesis, how to adjust the fit using socks, and how to properly clean the prosthesis and supplies. They will teach new patients how to negotiate walking on level surfaces, uneven surfaces and ramps and stairs, and any other goals a patient may have. PT’s are also usually the ones that will notice a problem and will call the prosthetist to adjust the prosthesis.
How often does a prosthesis need to be replaced?
The standard set by Medicare guidelines is for a prosthesis to last 3 to 5 years. But this is only a guide. A prosthesis or its components can be replaced more frequently as determined by a physician when there is a change in functional activity level, a change in the residual limb, when a component is broken and out of warranty, or if there is any other medical necessity which requires a new part or limb. It is imperative for amputees to see their physician regularly so that when a situation arises that requires a prosthetic change there are sufficient clinical notes to justify medical necessity. If something is not medically necessary, it will be denied by the insurance company.
What is the cost of a prosthesis?
This is completely determined by your insurance company’s reimbursement rates. For specifics please contact our billing team. Self-pay rates are available on an individually based determination.
Do I need a prescription for a prosthesis?
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) under which our practitioners and facilities are certified, requires all services provided by out practitioners to be prescribed by a certified physician. We will work with you to get the proper paperwork need to get services covered by your insurance carrier.