General considerations in managing upper limb amputations.

Amputation is an unpleasant affair, generating a very negative aura that must be consciously combated. It requires the same careful consideration, planning, and technical skills required by any reparative hand surgery. For optimal care, the surgeon needs not only to be comprehensively trained in hand surgery but also to be knowledgeable about prosthetic possibilities and to appreciate the psychological impact on the patient. Thoughtful and concerned management can do much to reduce the loss in a global sense, and the only measure of success is how well the patient is reintegrated into normal life.