Amputee and Vascular Disease Rehabilitation Program

Program Focus

The Amputee and Vascular Disease Program treats patients as they recover from the loss of a limb and attendant consequences. Rehabilitation care is also provided to patients with vascular disease or after surgery, including bypass grafts or aortic aneurysm repair.

The Team

N.Ender Oruc, MD, who is board-certified in both internal medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation, leads the interdisciplinary team. The team of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers helps amputees go from a medically stable, but fragile, state to a level of recovery where they begin to regain function and independence.

Family Participation

Family members are considered integral members of the rehabilitation team and are consulted, along with the patient, in making all decisions about courses of treatment, prosthesis selection, and therapeutic options.

The Process

The program provides services in the following areas

•	Instruction in activities of daily living
•	Wound care
•	Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis
•	Pre-prosthetic program of exercise, mobility training, and post surgical care
•	On-site assessment and expert fitting of the prosthesis
•	Psychological counseling
•	Extensive gait training and instruction in endurance, balance, and mobility
•	On-site selection and custom-fitting of the prosthesis, with the involvement of an expert prosthetist and orthotist
•	Physical and occupational therapy
•	Support groups

In addition, our clinical team provides patient education on:

•	Appropriate diet
•	Diabetic foot care
•	Long-term prosthesis care
•	Residual limb care
•	Skin care
•	Risk factors
•	Discharge planning

Throughout treatment, our rehabilitation specialists help patients prepare to resume regular activities in the home, workplace, and community. Follow-up care is available in our prosthetic clinics in Boston and Wellesley.

Clinical Resources

Clinical resources for patients in the Amputee and Vascular Disease Rehabilitation Program include:

Prosthetic Clinic — includes a comprehensive evaluation and expert opinion, and a weekly prosthetic fitting. N.Ender Oruc, MD, who is specially trained in prosthetic and amputee management, heads the clinic team in Boston. The team also includes an experienced, certified prosthetist and a senior physical therapist. These services are available to individuals while in the inpatient program, as well as following discharge, with lifelong outpatient support.

Amputee Support Group — meets the first Wednesday of the month, from 1:30 - 2:30 pm. The group is led by an experienced social worker.

For more information on this program, to discuss your needs, or to make a referral,

please call us at:
(888) 774-0055

More about admissions

Neil Sullivan

Regaining Strength and Mobility See virtual tour: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Related Resources:

National Amputation Foundation