Orthoplastic Limb Salvage

"It was totally AWESOME! Dr. V is gentle and talks you through the procedure - he is gentle, but also knows his stuff and efficiently performs his exam and procedure. The office is quiet and calm and pleasant. None of the white coat rushing through your appointment and treating you impersonally. I wish all doctors operated like Advanced Foot and Ankle!"

ANNE A. | JUN 16, 2023

Limb preservation utilizing orthoplastic surgery often involves patients with high-risk for limb amputation. This could be from severe trauma, injury, infection, deformity, or complications from previous surgeries. At Advanced Foot & Ankle of Virginia in Glen Allen, Virginia, board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, Ryan Vazales, DPM, DABFAS, FACFAS, plans your limb preservation surgery after careful evaluation of your foot and leg. Dr. Vazales will partner with you, your family and an integrated health care team to determine the best treatment plan to restore function for patients with a sever leg defect or significant injury within the skin or bone that requires complex care. Call Advanced Foot & Ankle of Virginia or schedule a limb preservation consultation online.

What is Orthoplastic Surgery?

Orthoplastic surgery is a specialized technique that aims to save a foot, ankle, or leg that may otherwise need to be amputated. It requires advanced training in musculoskeletal problems and plastic surgery techniques. 

At Advanced Foot & Ankle of Virginia, Dr. Vazales specializes in orthoplastic surgery for limb preservation. This approach combines complex microsurgical lower limb flap procedures to cover wounds / soft tissue defects with bone lengthening or shortening procedures to treat bone loss or deformities. Many times, external fixation is used in surgery to stabilize the flap or bone defect while the defect heals.

Dr. Vazales plans your surgery carefully and can adapt his technique after assessing the overall health and specific pathology. 

Who needs limb preservation?

Patients with limb threatening injuries, severe wounds or infections may benefit from limb preservation if they’re at risk of future amputation.

In particular, uncontrolled diabetic patients often present a higher risk for potential limb amputation. Patients who have diabetes and undergo amputation have an increased mortality rate by 50 percent at 5 years post amputation. This is why it's important to avoid amputation whenever possible.

How can I get the best possible results from limb preservation?

There are multiple steps you can take to ensure you get the best possible results from limb preservation. Dr. Vazales works very closely with a multidisciplinary team to improve your chances of a successful recovery. Healing can take a long time, however with individualized care Dr. Vazales, helps you restore as much function as possible to the affected leg, ankle, or foot.

Call Advanced Foot & Ankle of Virginia or book an appointment online to learn more about limb preservation with orthoplastic surgery today.