Interdisciplinary Care for Amputees Network: A Novel Approach to the Management of Amputee Patient Populations

Abstract

Extremity amputation remains a common intervention for limb-threatening conditions. With advancement in surgical technique to address deleterious postoperative sequelae of limb removal, there is a salient need to develop and operationalize interdisciplinary care frameworks to provide more comprehensive care to an otherwise challenging patient population. Herein, we describe our interdisciplinary approach to the management of amputee patient populations at our institution, referred to as the Interdisciplinary Care for Amputees Network (ICAN). This novel framework focuses on 3 fundamental areas: combined preoperative patient evaluation, orthoplastic surgical intervention, and multi-specialty postoperative functional and psychosocial rehabilitation. Importantly, the successful implementation of a combined orthoplastic clinic requires establishing a working relationship among providers to leverage increased provider familiarity. This, coupled with sufficient clinic space, dedicated operating room time, and standardized patient workflow, serves to improve care and meet patient goals of pain minimization, return to desired functional status, and improvement in quality of life.