The Benefits of Pre-Surgical Consultations for Patients and Physicians

Knowledge is power. All physicians are in command of an incredible amount of knowledge. They are there to guide their patients in the direction of how to both heal and regain function. Surgeons, specifically, are there to do the work that will prepare people who are facing an amputation, elective or otherwise, to return to their daily lives and careers.

What can we do to work together with the physician to help set up the patient for prosthetic success? Our goal is to partner with physicians and come up with a game plan.

The Arm Dynamics clinical team is here to provide input to surgeons regarding prosthetic options at the time of injury that will inform them of the optimal limb presentation. Surgeons are experts in their field and have the opportunity to collaborate with specialists in the field of upper limb prosthetic rehabilitation. We want to support them in their work before they operate on their patient.

How do our prosthetists do that?

Experience

We are the most experienced upper limb prosthetic care provider in the world. Over the past 20 years, we have worked with thousands of patients and we see hundreds each year at our Centers of Excellence. Our prosthetists know the correct questions to ask about a patient’s back-to-work goals, pre-injury activity levels and what they love to do for fun. Those answers will inform not only the amputation level, but any further surgical recommendations as well.

Our patient Wendi came for a consultation our Portland, OR, center before her elective amputation.

Staying Up to Date

Medical journals — there are a lot of them out there. It is the job of our prosthetic care team to stay current on the latest technology and techniques, so we can give our best recommendations to the surgeon and the patient’s healthcare team.

Connections

Who do we know that the physician or the patient should know? When we meet with a new physician, it opens the door for them to also connect with our network of support specialists: occupational therapists, hand therapists, mental health professionals — the list goes on. One of the most important connections we can make is between a patient and a peer who has suffered the same kind of trauma. Our peer support network has helped not only our patients, but also people who connected with our support network and did not become our patients.

While we understand the importance of our jobs as prosthetists, therapists and technicians — and the vital role of the patient, who must put in the effort to learn how to use their device — the foundation of successful rehabilitation is based on the work of the surgeon. We do not take it for granted when we are brought in to support the work of the surgeon. We are honored to be part of that process. Being there from the start also shows how much the surgeon cares about their patients, bringing in all available resources to help the patient have the best chance to succeed following an amputation. You can watch surgeon Dr. Dolan, who has referred patient to us, talk about why he does so:

How can we help? Please feel free to contact us directly to speak about a patient. If you are facing an amputation and would like us to consult with your physician/surgeon, you are also welcome to contact us. We would also love to hear any thoughts you have about this article — please use the comment section below. Thank you for learning more about pre-surgical consults with us today!

For more information, see related Arm Dynamics articles here:

• Why Do We Have Therapists On-Site at Each of Our Centers?
• Seven Reasons Arm Dynamics Centers Are Different From Other Prosthetic Care Providers
• Our Arm Dynamics Prosthetists
• Stats and Testimonials Regarding Upper Limb Prosthetic Care and Devices
• Why People Get Surgery After an Upper Limb Amputation