Stump dressings
After surgery there will be some sort of dressing applied to the wound area. On top of this there will also be a second dressing the aim of which is to prevent excessive swelling (oedema) in the stump. It is important that oedema is kept to a
minimum as this will speed healing of the wound while helping to maintain the stump at a size and shape suitable for the fitting of a prosthesis. The management of stump oedema is addressed in a variety of ways. These may vary between facilities so a number of these methods are described here.
Stump bandaging; this is the most common method of oedema control and is effective when correctly applied. As the bandage has to be reapplied regularly it is important that you learn the technique well as you will have to become proficient at the procedure.