AMPUTATION AND WAR

The surgery of amputation is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the ancient times. All of us are aware of the fact that the principles of surgery which were stated by Hippocrates are true even in this decade where the technology has advanced to a very great extent.

The refinements for performing the amputation procedures which are used now include anaesthesia, haemostasis as well as pre operative conditions that have been improved. In 1529, the French military surgeons used the process of amputation for those who had wounds that did not heal. The first successful amputation was done in 1588 by William Cloves, which was an above-knee amputation.

According to data from a reliable source, the Iraq War which happened around July 2008 has resulted in about 750 amputated soldiers.

In the ancient days, the war between various countries used to be for the establishment of colonies. There were a lot of wars which had been fought including the various revolutions as well as the massacres that happened in the recent past including the various world wars. In the present scenario also, wars are happening between various countries. These all have contributed to numerous occasions where the surgical procedure called amputation has become a must.

The soldiers have to undergo the amputation procedure for their survival even after they win the war. This is due to the fact that some injuries do not heal completely. So the soldiers will be forced to opt for amputation.

The doctors who take care of the wounded war soldiers opt for performing the amputation because of the reasons given below:

  1. The contaminated and dead tissues which are present in the wound may require excision.

  2. The primary closure which has already been delayed because of some reason must be performed

  3. The stump which is required for the attachment of prosthesis must be left, i.e. the wounded limb or area can be manipulated for performing a new function.

The injuries that a soldier suffers from a war may be due to the reasons given below:

  • Blasts that occur in the land mines

  • Shelling of the bombs

  • The person may develop gangrenes due to unhygienic conditions during war.

  • In certain cases, the soldiers may develop wounds as they come under nuclear radiations that are very harmful.

Different amputations done for war wounds

The amputations which are done normally for war wounds include:

  1. Foot amputations

  2. Ankle amputations

  3. Below knee disarticulation

  4. Knee bearing amputation