One of the rarest types of above-knee, lower-extremity amputations, a hemipelvectomy entails the removal or resectioning of some part of the patient’s pelvis. Sometimes, this surgery can even necessitate the removal of as much as half of the pelvis.
While rare, this particular type of above-knee amputation is most often carried out for the treatment or elimination of dangerous conditions and diseases such as localized tumors or cancers that have spread to the pelvis. However, a “traumatic hemipelvectomy” might be performed following a serious trauma or accident that leaves one’s pelvis irreparably damaged. There’s also something known as an “external hemipelvectomy,” which involves the resectioning of bones within the pelvis in addition to the amputation of the whole leg on the affected side.
It’s also worth noting that the main difference between a hemipelvectomy and another prominent (and very similar) lower-extremity amputations known as a “hip disarticulation” is the fact that a hemipelvectomy surgery removes the entire lower limb at the hip level plus a pelvic amputation, whereas a hip disarticulation merely removes the entire lower limb through the hip.
Regardless of whether you need help planning for or recovering from a hemipelvectomy, hip disarticulation, you’ll always receive high-quality and even more highly personalized care from MCOP’s team of lower-extremity prosthetic and rehabilitation experts. As always, we’ll do our absolute best to ensure you receive the most effective care imaginable, along with easy access to the latest prosthetic technologies and devices to help you move forward from even the most intensive surgeries.