FAQ

• Access to Peer Support
• Opportunities to meet other amputees and share experiences
• Access to free and up-to-date information
• Assistance navigating the NDIS and other support systems
• T.A.S. will support you and your family as you move forward through your recovery.
• People who are facing, or have faced, an amputation can experience a variety of emotions, such as depression, anxiety, anger and grief. T.A.S. can support you and your family as you move forward through the recovery stage of your journey.

Unfortunately, the Tasmanian Amputee Society (T.A.S.) cannot provide funding for prosthetics, orthotics, componentry (liners, silicon spray etc) medical equipment, electricity bills, rent, or other similar needs.
However, your support needs may be funded under the NDIS, if you meet the eligibility criteria. Refer to: https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/am-i-eligible or phone NDIS on 1800 800 110. If you are aged 65 years or over, go to: https://agedcare.health.gov.au/aged-care-funding.

If your amputation was due to trauma, such as a motor vehicle or workplace accident, and compensation is identified as a possibility, your insurance company may fund your prosthesis and medical care as part of your rehabilitation needs.

Veterans who have either lost their limb because of injuries received while serving, or who have a Gold Card, may have their prosthesis paid for by the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defence.

Most private health insurance companies do not allocate funding for a prosthetic. However, you could contact your private health insurance provider for further details.

• Try to gain as much information about the NDIS as possible before applying. Research your eligibility, and which documents the NDIS require to prove your identity and the evidence of your disability. https://www.ndis.gov.au
• To check your eligibility: https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/am-i-eligible
  Important – you must read all the information in every dot point to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements.
  Contact the NDIS:  https://www.ndis.gov.au  or phone 1800 800 110
• Or seek assistance from Tasmanian Amputee Society by requesting Peer Support. Call us today 0439 963 836.

A prosthesis is an artificial device that is used to replace a missing body part such as a limb, joint or organ. Prostheses are designed to restore functionality and sometimes improve aesthetics for individuals who have lost body parts due to injury, illness, or congenital conditions.
The design of a prosthetic is very individualized, and the prosthetist adapts the mechanical aspects for each amputee. It is important to work closely with your prosthetist to achieve a fit that is both comfortable and functional with componentry that best suits your situation.

Prosthetic Arms

Prosthetic arms are more complicated than prosthetic legs. They take more training, practice and perseverance to learn to use. But the results are worth it. The split hook type of prosthetic arm can perform two actions – gripping and steadying. It is operated by cables attached to a shoulder harness. A below-elbow amputee opens and closes the hook by moving the upper arm. An above-elbow amputee operates the hook by moving the opposite shoulder. This needs quite a bit of practice and concentration, but after a while, these arm and shoulder movements become second nature.

Prosthetic Legs

There are two types of leg amputation – above-knee and below-knee.

Below knee

In most cases, a below knee prosthesis will be easier to use than an above knee prosthesis because you still have your own knee and thigh muscle to help you walk. There is a wide range of feet and ankle componentry available. You need to talk to your prosthetist to find which componentry best suits your situation.

Above knee

An above-knee prosthetic leg may take longer to learn to use, because you need more balance. It will also require more concentration to walk and could be a little more tiring. The range of knee joints available is extensive, from a simple lock knee for walking which unlocks when you sit, to a safety knee so that if you stumble the knee will lock with weight bearing. There is also a wide range of pneumatic and hydraulic knees. The prosthetist will discuss the options for your amputation and your daily needs.
Because a prosthesis is exactly that – an artificial limb – it will never be comfortable all the time. You may experience from time-to-time minor irritations, blisters and chafing from your limb. You will also feel a different kind of balance. Your prosthetist, with your help, should make sure that your limb is as well-fitting and comfortable as it can be. If you have ongoing problems with your prosthesis, you need to make another appointment to see your prosthetist.

Here are some ideas to think about…

Climbing Stairs and Walking Down Hill

When you need to climb stairs and get into buses etc., always remember to use your good foot first. When you go downstairs or get off the bus, lead with your prosthetic foot. On escalators, step on and off with your good foot.
Walking down a steep hill can feel safer going step-by-step sideways, especially if you wear a basic Sach foot. Below-knee amputees put the prosthetic leg down first and try to keep abnormal pressure off the tender distal end of the tibia by going sideways.
Before you decide to try step-over-step downstairs with feet facing forwards, be sure the grab rail is at your prosthetic side and your handbag or anything you are carrying is on your non-prosthetic side.

Reaching Goals

Set a small goal, not only for a day but for a week, so that you give yourself a chance to reach, or over-reach your limits.  In early days, you might feel safe only walking around the house, but checking the mailbox extends your limit before tackling the street or stepping down and up onto a kerb.

Picking Up

Picking things up off the floor demands a different balancing strategy.  It isn’t always possible to bend your knees keeping a straight back, so take a wide step sideways and bend from the waist. It can be good to put your hand onto a firm surface when you bend over; this helps you to maintain your balance and reduces the risk of falls.

Clothing

You may find it easier to dress your prosthetic leg in underwear, trousers and shoe, before inserting your residual limb. Then dress your good leg. Some amputees have a zipper inserted in the inside seam of their trousers on their prosthetic leg – this makes dressing much easier. When you buy socks, buy two or three identical pairs. Put one sock on your prosthetic foot and leave it there for a while, rather than change it every day. If your prosthetic leg causes wear on your trousers, protect them with extra lining or a patch on the trouble spot
Women may find that a prosthetic leg tends to shine through pantyhose or that the foam cover is too pale. In winter, you can wear thick textured or ribbed pantyhose. A ‘knee high’ stocking on the prosthetic leg, worn under pantyhose and giving a double thickness, is also good. The under-hose supplied with your prosthesis by your service provider are long-wearing and quite a natural colour under pantyhose, the colour of which can be adjusted to reflect a tan.

Training

A fun way to practise ‘normal’ walking is to push or kick a ball with your own leg while standing on your  prosthetic leg beside a supporting chair.  You roll a tennis ball under your good leg while standing on your prosthetic limb also holding onto support. As you build strength and improve your balance you may need a support to steady you.
When standing, you may feel it more comfortable to stand with your prosthetic foot slightly behind your sound foot.  This gives you a relaxed stability and, if you are an above-knee amputee, lets you take more than half of your body weight on the prosthesis.

After the operation, you may feel that your amputated arm or leg is still there. This is called phantom limb sensation. For some amputees, their phantom leg is so real that they try to stand on it. This usually happens once only! The sensation of a phantom limb is natural and nothing at all to worry about. In fact, it is considered a sign that the wound is doing well. After the limb has been amputated, you may experience inconsistent sensations such as tightness, burning, numbness and coldness, or that part or all your limb is still there. For example, you may be sure you can wriggle your toes or fingers. Sometimes these sensations will disappear and for others they will come and go, usually without any warning. The experience differs from amputee to amputee.

Relief from Pain

For the first few days after the operation, your phantom limb will be painful. In time, phantom sensations and pain becomes less intense and less frequent. If you are tired, upset or run down, or the weather is bad, or your prosthesis is ill-fitting, the phantom limb may annoy you. So, it is a good idea to keep active and make sure that your prosthesis is well-fitting.
Some amputees experience varying degrees of pain, for which you should seek medical advice. Some may find relief with pain medication.
The following suggestions may also help:

• Wrap your residual limb in a warm, soft fabric, such as a towel. The warmth will sometimes increase circulation. Poor circulation is thought to be one cause of phantom pain.
• Mentally exercise the limb that is not there in the area that is painful.
• Mentally relax the missing limb and its residual portion.
• Do some mild overall exercise to increase circulation.
• Exercise the residual limb.
• Tighten muscles in the residual limb, then release them slowly.
• Put Gladwrap or a shrinker sock on. If you have your prosthesis, put it on and take a short walk.
• If you have pain with the prosthesis on, take it and the prosthetic sock off and put them back on after a few minutes. Sometimes the residual limb is being pinched by the prosthesis and changing the way it is fitted will relieve the pressure on that nerve.
• Change body position. If you are sitting, move around in your chair, or stand up to let the blood get down into your residual limb.
• Soak in a warm bath or use a shower massage or spa pool on your residual limb. A hot tub is reported to do wonders.
• Massage your residual limb with your hands or better yet, have someone else massage it while you try to relax your entire body.
• Keep a diary of when pain is most severe. This can help you and your doctor identify recurring causes.
• Wrap the residual limb in a heating pad.
• Tap the end of your residual limb with your fingers.
• Some people find help through self-hypnosis, biofeedback and chiropractic therapy. If you have not found relief through any home remedies and the pain is not being controlled through normal medication, a pain centre should be considered.

When your prosthetic limb needs repair, you should contact your prosthetist immediately. No small repair should be left until such time as a major repair becomes necessary. If you are a NDIS participant and do not have repairs funded in your plan you may need to contact the NDIS to request a review to add repairs to your plan. You may need to obtain a quote as evidence that your prosthesis needs repairs.  Adjustments to the socket of your prosthesis will be required from time to time, particularly if your weight tends to fluctuate. If it becomes uncomfortable, you should make an appointment to see your prosthetist. If you are away from home, you should be able to have repairs that need to be made at a service provider close to where you are.

After your operation, your residual limb will be swollen, and very sensitive. Your wound needs time to heal. You will go through a therapeutic process before your Allied Health professionals indicate that you are ready to have a new prosthetic limb fitted. This will vary from person to person. The timing depends on how quickly your residual limb fully heals from the surgery. Some individuals receive a temporary prosthesis immediately following amputation or within two to three weeks after surgery. Generally, a prosthetic fitting begins two to six months after surgery.

If you do not have a wet leg or arm that is designed to allow use at a pool or beach in wet situations, the answer is no. Many components in a prosthesis are sensitive to moisture. Therefore, most amputees remove their prosthesis when showering. It is not good for a prosthesis to get wet and it is extremely important to clean residual limbs daily.

Most amputees do not sleep with their prosthesis on. This is primarily due to comfort – the prosthesis can be cold and hard and make sleep uncomfortable. Also, it is good for the skin of the residual limb to be exposed to air from time to time, to help ensure that skin is kept in good condition. Some amputees wear a shrinker sock at night if they are experiencing problems with swelling first thing in the morning.

The process for renewing a Drivers Licence for amputees was changed as of June 2022.

It is now a mandatory requirement for all drivers who have had any major limb amputation surgery since 2022 to declare their medical condition to their State Traffic Authority. For amputees with a Tasmanian Drivers Licence use form MR68 available from the Tasmanian Department of State Growth and Transport and consult with your General Practitioner.

For further information refer to the Tasmanian Health Service website: https://www.health.tas.gov.au/health-topics/amputation/lower-limb-amputation/lower-limb-amputation-resources

Depending on your occupation, you can return to work with your prosthesis. If your work involves extreme physical strain, you should let your prosthetist know before the prosthesis is fabricated since the type of stress affects the characteristics of the socket and the selection of components. Initially, your Occupational Therapist in consultation with your doctor may suggest a Return-to-Work plan so that you can transition more gradually back into your work situation.

There is no standard answer to this question. If the socket of your prosthesis fits well over the long term and no difficulties arise, you may not need a new prosthesis. Most components of prosthetic limbs should be replaced within 3 years to ensure safety and for the integrity of the prosthetic limb. The life of a prosthesis varies depending on the activity of the individual and type of prosthetic limb.

The price of a new prosthetic limb can cost anywhere from $5,000 to over $100,000. The cost will depend on your individual situation, and if you are a NDIS participant, are funded within the aged care system, are funded by DVA, Compensation or self-funded. Even the most expensive and complex prosthetic limbs are built to withstand only three to five years of wear and tear. All prosthetics will ultimately need to be replaced over the course of a lifetime. They are not a one-time cost. You will need regular maintenance and service reviews with your prosthetists just like your car to ensure everything is going well and that your prosthetic is working as it should. The recommendation for check-ups is every 3-4 months.

Step 1 – After Surgery – amputation does not stop people from living active and healthy lives. While the recovery and the prosthetic process is unique to everyone, there are many residual limb care routines that apply to most amputees. Your recovery team will establish the correct process for you.

Step 2 – After surgery you need to take care of your wound as it heals. With assistance from your physiotherapist, learn to stretch and strengthen your muscles. Learn to transfer safely from your bed to either wheelchair or walking aides. Build your capacity around managing your daily living skills.

Step 3 – Preparing to use your prosthetic limb. This step will not go ahead until your wound has healed sufficiently to bear weight.

Step 4 – When you have your new prosthetic limb your need to continue to take care of your wound. Continue to exercise using the program your physiotherapist has developed. Move safely to avoid falls until you gain greater confidence and stability with your new prosthetic limb. Use your shrinker sock until your limb is no longer swollen.

Step 5 – Your residual limb will continue to shrink. This occurs as you are no longer using muscles to the same degree. After about 6-8 months your residual limb should have reached a stable shape. Prior to this stage you will have been fitted with a temporary prosthetic limb as a precursor to your definitive prosthesis. Your prosthetist will advise you when you are ready for this. When you are provided with your new prosthesis you will learn how to walk, care for your residual limb and clean your prosthesis. Over time you will be able to increase the length of time that you can wear your prosthesis.

Step 6 – Rehabilitation.  New prosthetic users will undergo a rehabilitation process administered by a team of professionals. Your physician, prosthetist, physical, occupational therapist and others cooperate to help increase your mobility and independence. It will be important to remain active to help build your stamina. Your prosthetist will play a key role for as long as you wear your prosthesis. Physical therapy will help you to learn to use your prosthesis. Learning to walk on different surfaces will be an ongoing challenge

You should wash your residual limb daily with warm soapy water, rinse and dry well. Change your stump sock and liner regularly. You should wash and dry your liners after use. Dry your skin before putting on your prosthesis. Always avoid putting on wet or damp socks or liners. If you notice any changes to the skin on your residual limb you should seek advice. You should check the end of your residual limb using a mirror. Don’t forget to look after your good foot. Check for any changes.

Yes. Having a prosthesis is all about living an ordinary life. As the componentry that make up your prosthesis can deteriorate dramatically with moisture or water you should ask your prosthetist about supplying you with a recreational prosthesis known as a “Wet leg”. These prosthetics are designed to be used in water.

Residual limb is the correct term to use, as opposed to “stump”.  Most amputees use both interchangeably, but” residual limb” may be less confronting. Although we do reference “stump socks”.

Yes, several firms make them. You need to speak to your provider.

The K-level functional classification system is used for lower-limb prosthetics to determine a person’s mobility and potential. This can help with the choice of prosthetic componentry to suit the individual.

Levels:
K0: No ability to walk or transfer safely; a prothesis doesn’t improve mobility.
K1: Able to walk on level surfaces at a fixed walking speed, typically for household use.
K2: Able to walk on low-level barriers like curbs and uneven surfaces.
K3: Able to walk with variable walking speeds and traverse most environmental barriers.
K4: Exhibits high impact, stress, or energy levels, such as children, active adults, and athletes.

Yes, there is a bi-yearly conference organised by “Limbs4Life”. Manufacturers such as Ottobock and Ossur have mobility days and conduct study days as well. There are regular golf and sporting tournaments and a broader range of organised recreational activities are becoming more popular. By joining the T.A.S. as a member you will receive updates about activities organised around the state for amputees.