How to Care for Your Prosthetic
If this is a prosthesis using a shuttle lock suction socket/silicone or gel liner, separate instructions have been given to you. Please be sure to follow these directions regarding DAILY HYGIENE and DONNING/DOFFING the socket and liner exactly. This will ensure longevity of the liner and maintain viability of your residual limb(s). For a more detailed explanation, contact your Care Team or watch the video at the bottom of the page.
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- The first day you wear your prosthesis home, remove it every 1 to 1 ½ HOURS. Look carefully at your residual limb. If there are any red spots that disappear in five to ten minutes, do not worry. Your skin is simply reacting to new pressure and weight-bearing spots. If the red area does not disappear in five to ten minutes, contact your Care Team. We will schedule a prompt appointment to relieve this area so it does not become a blister. This is especially important if you are Diabetic or have vascular disease.Â
- Under no conditions should you adjust or change your prosthesis yourself. The components have been carefully chosen, assembled, adjusted and secured according to the manufacturers’ exact specifications and should never be changed by anyone except a qualified practitioner. Please call us as soon as you notice a problem and we will be glad to adjust your prosthesis.
- Do not wear your prosthesis to bed. Put it on when you get up in the morning and take it off before napping or retiring for the night.
- Be prepared to change the amount and/or the ply of your prosthetic socks as the volume of your residual limb changes. This may occur once in a while, once a week or even a number of times in one day. You will need to add or subtract socks as your residual limb swells or contracts.
- You will lose fit in your prosthetic socket as your residual limb changes. This is normal and we will be able to adjust your prosthesis to accommodate these anatomical changes.
- If the shuttle lock fails to release – do not panic! It may only have trapped a loose thread from your prosthetic sock, which can be worked out with a bit of patience and gentle pulling. If the button is hard to push, stand up and put your weight on the prosthesis. Push down hard and then sit down. Do not try to pull the insert out before pressing in the lock button.
- Notify us immediately of any significant changes in weight and/or activity levels.
- In the event of a hard fall, CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY to allow us to inspect your prosthetic for hidden damage and to prevent the possibility of further damage to the prosthetic services and most important, injury to you.
PROSTHETICS
Our superior technology not only ensures exact measurements and shape for your prosthetic, but also a perfect match for your way of life. We perform an extensive evaluation of your body, health, and daily life, and use custom materials to build a prosthetic ideally suited to you.
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