Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Sep;35(10-11):1146-1158.
doi: 10.1177/10497323241293039. Epub 2024 Nov 15.

"You Don't Realize What a Big Change It Is": A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Patients' Experiences of Amputation Preparation, Information Provision, and Support

Maria Gonzalez Aguado  1 , Lucina Wilde  1 , Esmée Hanna  1
Affiliations

"You Don't Realize What a Big Change It Is": A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Patients' Experiences of Amputation Preparation, Information Provision, and Support

Maria Gonzalez Aguado et al. Qual Health Res. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

The objective of this research was to extend current knowledge on the psychological and emotional aspects around patients' preparation for amputation surgery. This research explored amputees' perspectives on their preparation for amputation surgery and how patients can be better supported for this procedure. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and online qualitative questionnaires with 17 amputees who underwent upper- or lower-limb amputation within the United Kingdom. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis generated three themes describing participants' experiences of being prepared for this surgery and their ideas on how this process could be improved: (1) Making sense of amputation surgery, (2) Patients' experiences of information and support from healthcare staff, and (3) Patients' views on approaches to preparation. This research highlighted the importance of information provision and support from healthcare staff, along with the potential benefits of utilizing experiential knowledge through peer support to enhance feelings of preparedness for amputation surgery.

Keywords: amputation; patient care; patient experience; pre-operative preparation; qualitative research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Abrahamsen C., Dall-Hansen D., Igelski M. T., Schober T., Jensen C. M. (2024). Transitioning from hospital to home after a major lower extremity amputation: Interview study on patients’ and relatives’ perspectives. International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing, 54(1), Article 101103. 10.1016/j.ijotn.2024.101103 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Akrich M. (2010). From communities of practice to epistemic communities: Health mobilizations on the internet. Sociological Research Online, 15(2), 116–132. 10.5153/sro.2152 - DOI
    1. Arefpour A. M., Foroughi A., Jamshidi K., Sami S. H., Afshar S. V., Shirzad F., Garousi M. (2024). The effect of multidimensional spiritual psychotherapy on the quality of life of bone cancer survivors with a history of lower extremity amputation. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 25(2), 425–431. 10.31557/apjcp.2024.25.2.425 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Atherton R., Robertson N. (2006). Psychological adjustment to lower limb amputation amongst prosthesis users. Disability and Rehabilitation, 28(19), 1201–1209. 10.1080/09638280600551674 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Borkman T. (1976). Experiential knowledge: A new concept for the analysis of self-help groups. Social Service Review, 50(3), 445–456. 10.1086/643401 - DOI