What are the estimated long-term costs of an amputation?

The long-term costs associated with an amputation are on average between $100,000 and $500,000 because amputees are going to require multiple prescriptions of prosthetics. Ongoing access to high-quality prosthetics is crucial for someone who has suffered amputation. The lawyer representing you needs to have a real expertise, to be able to get the contacts with rehabilitation and prosthetic facilities.

There are an estimated 1.9 million amputees in the United States, and approximately 185,000 amputation surgeries performed each year. Of those amputations performed, 82% are caused by diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.

The lifetime medical care costs for a person with an amputation (prosthetic costs included) are estimated to reach more than $500,000.

Depending on the level and complexity of the amputation, prosthetic costs vary. For example, according to a recent study by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, 5-year prosthetic costs are:

  • $450,000 for someone with multiple limb amputations;
  • $230,000 for an individual with a unilateral lower-limb amputation;
  • $117,000 for someone dealing with a unilateral upper-limb amputation.

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