Amputation

It is best to prepare well before the amputation. Choose your own prosthetist! Every patient in Belgium and the Netherlands has freedom of choice. Start by making an appointment at the prosthetic centre, the orthopaedic company that will make your prosthesis. This is advisable because good preparation gives you confidence, shortens waiting times and makes the transition to a prosthesis smoother. Here is an overview of what you can do and how the process usually works at our Amputee Care Center in Belgium:

1. Make an appointment for an introductory meeting

• Make an appointment with the Amputee Care Center prosthetics centre. We offer a free pre-op consultation to introduce you to options, materials and costs/reimbursements.
• Ask our orthopaedic technologist prosthetist bandager to provide you with comprehensive information about the types of prostheses (passive, myoelectric, bionic, MCK knee, cosmetic, functional), their expected functionality and limitations.

2. Submit your prescription/referral letter to us.

• Referral/prescription: Ask your surgeon or rehabilitation doctor for the medical prescription referral for your first prosthesis before the operation. Submit your referral/medical prescription to Amputee Care Center. This will allow us to start the administrative process (insurance, indication assessment) in advance, so that there is no waiting time after your operation.
• Insurance & financing: Approval for reimbursement from your insurance company is often required in advance; we need the prescription for this.
• Make sure you provide us with all the necessary information: the (original) medical prescription/referral, your medical details and contact information. We will create the administrative file so that you can prepare for the amputation without any worries.
• You can bring in the original prescription or send it to us by post.
• A quick administrative start-up shortens waiting times and ensures a smooth process immediately after the operation.

Tip: many people think that you only arrange everything after the amputation, but it is much more efficient to have everything ready in advance, both administratively and medically. This way, you can try your first prosthesis within a few weeks after healing.

Are you looking for a specialist prosthetics or orthopaedics company when faced with an amputation? The ACC is a specialist unit of Spronken Orthopaedics, one of the larger leading insurance-approved orthopaedic companies in Europe, with a strong reputation for innovation and high-quality orthopaedic aids (prostheses and orthoses) for people-centred care. The Amputee Care Center (ACC) is known for, among other things:

• Designing and manufacturing innovative high-tech leg and arm prostheses.
• Specialised prosthetists and orthopaedic technologists.
• Paediatric orthopaedics and paediatric prosthetic solutions.
• Designing and manufacturing prostheses in our own workshop.
• Specialised second opinion prosthetic centre.
• Centrally located at the Belgium-Netherlands-Germany tripoint.
• More than 60 years of experience.
• Free consultations and introductory meetings.
• Gait analysis and walking analysis laboratory for leg prostheses.
• Strength and movement analysis centre for arm prostheses.
• NEN-EN-ISO 13485 quality certified company.
• Unique total care package.
• Multidisciplinary professional collaborations.
• Brand-independent, we investigate the best prosthetic solution for each situation.
• Only the best prosthesis brands, such as Össur, Open Bionics, Ottobock, Freedom Innovations, Axiles bionics and more.
• Recognised partner of all Belgian health insurance funds and most Dutch health insurers.
• Medical travel: fast service for international clients
• Excellent patient reviews

Yes. You can choose your own prosthetic centre and make your own appointments. Good preparation for amputation helps ensure a better recovery. That is why we schedule an introductory meeting at our prosthetic centre in advance. You will receive information about the new generation of compression care for the stump, the recovery process, your first prosthesis, your permanent prosthesis and what you can expect. A well-informed patient is the first step towards successful prosthetic treatment. This will give you more confidence as you embark on the process. An orientation consultation at Amputee Care Center is free of charge and without obligation. Take advantage of it!

If possible, please bring the medical prescription, prescription or referral letter for your prosthesis with you. This will allow us to open your file immediately and start the administrative process.

After the amputation operation, the recovery phase begins. This phase includes wound care, post-operative stump care (compression protocol) to shape the stump properly and prepare it optimally for wearing a prosthesis. We work together with your doctors and the rehabilitation team and we make your first practice prosthesis (transfer prosthesis or temporary prosthesis). After amputation, you will receive intensive support from our prosthesis team and the coach from the Amputee Care Center (ACC).

Phantom pain is pain that you feel in the amputated body part, which is no longer there. The brain still receives “signals” as if the body part were still there. Phantom pain occurs in many people after an amputation. The pain can vary from tingling and stinging to cramps or a burning sensation.

Fortunately, there are effective treatment methods such as medication, mirror exercises, TENS or special therapies. The Amputee Care Center works with various specialists who treat phantom pain. 

The Amputee Care Center is renowned for its efficient care. Most people take their first steps with a prosthetic leg just seven weeks after amputation. The recovery process after amputation varies from person to person. In the first few weeks after surgery, the focus is on wound healing, pain management and preventing complications. Then rehabilitation begins, focusing on muscle building, mobility and preparation for a prosthesis. Usually, a practice prosthesis, a temporary or transfer device is used first to get used to wearing the prosthesis.  Then you will receive your permanent prosthesis. On average, it takes three months to reach a good functional level. At ACC, we guide you throughout the entire process, in close collaboration with your doctor and the rehabilitation team.

People who undergo leg amputation due to life-threatening vascular narrowing can count on specialised aftercare at the Amputee Care Center, which significantly speeds up recovery and allows them to resume their independent lives sooner with a custom-made leg prosthesis.  The rehabilitation protocol indicates that in the first few weeks after a lower leg or upper leg amputation, the prosthesis load is progressive. Advanced walking training is usually carried out in 7 to 11 weeks, which means that it is possible to take your first steps after amputation and learn to walk with your prosthesis within this period.

That depends on your recovery. On average, people with a lower leg amputation start with a temporary leg prosthesis or training prosthesis at the Amputee Care Center within 7 weeks, and those with a thigh amputation within 9 weeks. This happens as soon as your stump has healed sufficiently and can bear weight. A first leg prosthesis helps you get used to walking before you receive a permanent prosthesis.

We will help you with the administrative application for reimbursement or compensation. Submit the prescription – medical referral – from your doctor to the Amputee Care Center in good time. This will prevent unnecessary waiting, as recovery and the fitting of your first prosthetic leg often happens faster than you might expect!

Not everyone chooses or is able to choose a prosthesis. Together, we will look at your physical situation, lifestyle and goals. Some people function well without a prosthesis, but a prosthesis often adds value to your quality of life. You decide what suits your life and which prosthesis is most suitable for you. At Amputee Care Center, we advise and guide you in this process, completely independently of any particular brand. We always strive for the best choice for your situation and body.

When choosing a prosthetist-orthopaedic technician, it is important to start early, preferably before the amputation. Consider their experience with your type of amputation, technical expertise (such as 3D scanning, 3D printing, electronic and bionic knee, foot, arm or hand solutions or myoelectric prostheses), collaboration with rehabilitation teams, and aftercare options.

Schedule an introductory meeting. Preferably choose an orthopaedic prosthetics company with an ISO quality label. Amputee Care Center is certified according to ISO 13485, the international quality standard for medical devices. This means that all orthopaedic devices meet strict requirements in terms of safety, guarantees, traceability, process control and product quality. 

For you, this means that your leg or arm prosthesis will be developed, manufactured and delivered in accordance with the highest medical standards. You can count on reliable care, accurate follow-up and top-quality devices.

ACC combines rapid recovery, high-quality technology and personalised support, making it one of the most comprehensive and effective prosthetic centres in Europe. Amputee Care Center by Spronken specialises in holistic care for amputation and prosthetic solutions. We design and manufacture high-quality, innovative, customised arm and leg prostheses tailored to your situation. With over 60 years of experience, we are a leading prosthetics centre with an orthopaedic workshop and a biomechanical gait and strength measurement laboratory. At ACC, you are assured of personalised guidance and top-quality prostheses. We guarantee the quality of our prostheses with an ISO-13485 quality label.

That depends on the country where you are insured. The Amputee Care Center has a large international clientele and supplies customised arm and leg prostheses to prosthesis wearers worldwide. Reimbursement varies greatly from country to country: some countries (such as Belgium and the Netherlands) offer full reimbursement through national health insurance schemes.

Yes. In Belgium, most prosthesis costs are fully reimbursed by the RIZIV. For advanced options or sports prostheses, an additional payment may be required. Thanks to your health insurance fund or insurance company, you will receive reimbursement, cost coverage, reimbursement, financial compensation, insurance benefits or even a subsidy, so that you can focus fully on exercising and recovering.

The Amputee Care Center team will help you with the application, administration and communication with your health insurance fund. Are you from the Netherlands? Even then, reimbursement is often (partially) possible, depending on your health insurance.

Yes. We are a recognised supplier of customised prostheses. Amputee Care Center is a recognised partner of all Belgian health insurance funds and most Dutch health insurers, and we are happy to advise you on your situation. We work with a third-party payment system. The third-party payment system is a system within the healthcare sector whereby the healthcare provider invoices the health insurance fund or health insurer directly, so that you, as a patient, do not have to pay the costs up front.

Yes, children can undergo an amputation just like adults. This may be due to congenital abnormalities, traumatic injuries, infections or rare conditions. Because children are still growing, an amputation and the subsequent treatment require special attention and care. The care for a child is different from that for an adult. That is why we at Amputee Care Center work with a multidisciplinary team that has extensive experience in paediatric care. We are proud to call ourselves a specialised orthopaedic centre for children's prostheses.

We not only help with physical rehabilitation, but also look after the emotional well-being of the child and their family. Prostheses for children are specially custom-made and regularly adjusted so that they can grow with the child and function optimally for as long as possible. We take comfort, functionality and design into account. Our goal is to ensure that every child feels comfortable and can move and play as independently as possible.

Discover what is possible after a lower leg amputation! Do you have an amputation or a poorly fitting lower leg prosthesis that makes it difficult to move around? Do you want to participate actively in life despite this limitation?

Imagine: moving freely again, playing a team sport, going for a walk with your children or grandchildren, or travelling without limits. It is possible!

Tell us about your dreams during a no-obligation exploratory meeting. Together, we will set out to make your ideal world a reality. Because with the right aids after a lower leg amputation, your possibilities are greater than you think!