In this Section:

• About Amputations
  • Amniotic Band Syndrome
  • After Birth
    • Diabetes
  • Trauma
  • Tumor
  • Vascular Incidents
  • Iraqi War

Other Sections

• Introduction
• About Amputations
• Dealing With Amputations
• Discrimination
• Famous Amputees
• Personal Accounts
• Interactive

After Birth Amputations

After birth amputations can happen to anyone, young or old. Diseases are a leading cause of amputations after birth. Some diseases that are responsible for amputations include diabetes, tumors, and vascular incidents. All of these are very serious, and if the necessary amputation is not performed, the person may die. Disease-caused amputation can happen at any age, although it is more common in the elderly. Sometimes these diseases are preventable, but others, such as cancer, cannot be prevented. The amputation is the best solution to save the person's life.

Another leading cause of amputation is trauma. An amputation can result from trauma such as an automobile accident or machinery accident, for instance. Although performing an amputation caused by trauma can save a person's life, there are many dangers and risks involved. Lately, amputations have been a big part of the news because of the war in Iraq. Roadside bombs are responsible for many amputations in soldiers. In January of this year, an unfortunate landmark was reached: the 500th amputee resulting from the Iraqi war. As this war continues and roadside bombs continue to be detonated, more and more of our soldiers will return home with amputations. Our society will need to deal with this serious condition and will need to provide rehabilitation for this large number of soldiers.