What is the purpose of wrapping a stump after amputation?
AFTER A PATIENT’S LEG is amputated, wrapping his stump with elastic bandages helps protect the healing tissue, holds the wound dressing in place, reduces swelling, and shapes the residual limb for a prosthesis.
How do you care for residual limbs after amputation?
Your residual limb may be covered by a cast or splint. Or another type of pressure dressing may be used, such as soft gauze covered by a tight bandage. This dressing is used to absorb moisture, protect your healing wound, and control swelling. No matter which type of dressing is used, it is likely to be changed often.
How do you wrap a residual limb?
Below the Knee Amputations Start near the end of the residual limb. Pull the ace wrap diagonally, in an upward direction to secure the wrap in place upon itself. Wrap, making all turns in a diagonal direction, forming a criss-cross pattern. Never use circular turns as they tend to constrict circulation.
Do you elevate residual limb after amputation?
Elevate the stump for the first 24 to 48 hours. Move and turn the patient gently and slowly to prevent severe muscle spasms. Reposition the patient every 2 hours, turning the patient from side to side and prone, if possible.
Which is the correct way to bandage a stump?
General guidelines
- Use 1 or 2 clean 4-inch elastic bandages each day.
- Sit on the edge of a firm bed or chair.
- Always wrap in a diagonal direction.
- Keep the tension greatest at the end of the limb.
- Make sure there are at least 2 layers of bandage and that no layer directly overlaps another.
What is the residual limb?
Residual limb pain, sometimes called stump pain, is a type of pain felt in the part of a limb that remains after an amputation. It occurs in about half of people who have had an amputation. It may occur soon after the surgery, often within the first week, but may also last beyond healing.
How do you massage a residual limb?
Massage: Early massage of the residual limb will help develop tolerance to both touch and pressure. Massage can be performed through your compression bandage or sock. A soft, gentle kneading motion works best, applying gentle pressure over the entire limb, including the sutured area.
What is stump bandage?
An elastic bandage applied to an amputation stump to control postoperative edema and to shape the stump. The elastic bandage is applied in a recurrent or figure-of-eight fashion with more pressure applied to the distal, rather than the proximal, portion of the limb.
How to Ace wrap a leg after amputation?
Ace Wrapping Lower Extremity (Leg) Residual Limb Ace wrapping the residual limb after amputation prepares it for fitting artificial limbs (prostheses). Ace wrapping shrinks and shapes the residual limb. To wrap, begin with a dry rolled ace bandage. Your residual limb should also be dry. Wear the bandage at all times. Below the Knee Amputations 1.
What happens if my residual limb replacement is not working?
If padding and other methods are not successful, surgery may be required to revise your residual limb so as to decrease your pain and allow you to wear your prosthesis. Neuromas. A neuroma is a collection, or bundle, of nerve endings that forms under the skin of your residual limb. Think of it like a tangle of hair.
What is residual limb pain (RLP)?
What is residual limb pain (RLP)? This is the pain that originates in the remaining part of your limb. It can be caused by a variety of conditions related to your surgery or it can be caused by conditions you had prior to your amputation.
How do you wrap a wound on the outside of leg?
Start the bandage right below the knee. When wrapping the end of the limb, use a figure-8 pattern: wrap toward the inside of the limb, and then toward the outside of the limb. This helps prevent creases from forming in your scar. As you move up the leg, wrap the bandage above the knee.