Preparing Your Limb - Volume Control & Reduce Swelling

Your residual limb is going to change a lot in shape, size and volume during your post-op recovery, and throughout your life. At first it will be swollen from the surgery and may have a bulbous shape.

Eventually, the swelling (edema) will go down and the muscles you are no longer using will atrophy (shrink). Your limb will gradually become cone shaped or cylindrical.

The timing of when you can be fit with a prosthesis will depend on how the volume of your residual limb is managed. Preparing your residual limb to fit into a prosthesis is called tissue shaping.

A shrinker sock (or Ace bandage) is often used after surgery. “Shrinkers” are elastic socks designed to reduce swelling and help shape your limb. It is important to put the shrinker on correctly. It needs to be pulled up tightly and have total contact with your skin. There cannot be any empty space at the bottom of the shrinker. The goal is to squeeze excess fluid out of the limb by applying circumferential pressure. The pressure should be greatest at the bottom of the limb and gradually decrease towards the top.