Diabetes;RE: AKA or BKA

[fawnsternurse]

Question: Hello !

All you O.R. Nurses (wish I was one, anyway different subject)

My friends Mom lives in Vietnam and recently(1yr ago) developed cellulitis, leading to gangrene. Well, you know the rest of the story.... Newly diagnosed diabetes, Doc wants to amputate and he does. L. AKA.

What I am wondering is this:

How is this procedure accomplished in an O.R. in the USA? I have a reason for asking this question because what my friend described to me as her Mom's experience almost sounds barbaric.However first I wanted to ask you all how they perform this procedure here and what is common in terms of anesthesia etc

I would appreciate any and all responses to this.

Thanks in advance.

Mary Jo:)