If you walked into your first prosthetic appointment feeling uncertain of what to expect, unsure of what questions to ask, overwhelmed by the amount of information being shared, or struggling to understand many of the words being said to you by your clinician you’re far from alone.
For many lower-limb amputees, that first appointment feels like stepping into an entirely new world, while still adjusting to the one you just left behind.
Maybe you remember nodding along, hoping you were making the right decision and leaving with a bag full of pamphlets and more questions than answers.
Or maybe it wasn’t until weeks or months later, once you’d started using your prosthesis, that you realized what you didn’t know at the time, and wished someone had guided you differently.
These moments are real. They’re common. And they matter.
How Involved Were You in Your Prosthesis Decision?
Selecting a prosthetic device is one of the most significant choices a person with limb loss will make. And yet numerous studies suggest that many amputees don’t feel fully involved in that decision. Research highlights the same pattern again and again: People want to participate in the design and selection process, but they often don’t feel equipped or empowered to do so.
Expectations and reality don’t always align.
Questions often go unasked—or unanswered.
And shared decision-making, although recommended, isn’t consistently practiced in many clinical settings.
The result? Too many amputees walk away from an appointment feeling uncertain, unheard, or unprepared for what comes next.
This isn’t a personal failing. It’s a systemic gap. And one we have the chance to fix together.
An Important New Global Initiative
To address this challenge, we’re excited to reveal that various amputee organizations are coming together to better understand what really happens in those early appointments and the best way to improve shared decision-making.
This collaboration isn’t about products.
It isn’t about marketing.
It’s about people.
Their shared goal is simple: To help individuals with lower-limb loss approach their first prosthetic appointment feeling informed, confident, and ready to be a true partner in their care.
This initiative focuses on real patient priorities: What feels overwhelming, what feels unclear, and what amputees wish they had known sooner. It aims to make prosthetic care more personalized, more transparent, and more empowering by listening directly to the people who have gone through it.
Because, who better to shape the future of prosthetic care than the individuals who live with these decisions every day?
Your Experience Can Make a Meaningful Difference
If you have lower-limb loss and have ever attended an appointment to discuss a prosthetic device, your insight is invaluable.
A short, anonymous, 10-minute survey has been created to capture the lived experiences of amputees across the country. Your perspective—whether it was positive, challenging, confusing, or somewhere in between—can help create clearer conversations, better expectations, and stronger support for those who are just beginning their own journeys. By taking part, you can help:
* Guide future amputees through a moment you know firsthand.
* Influence how clinicians and patients communicate.
* Improve care expectations and shared decision making‑making.
As a thank you for your input, participants will have the chance to enter a drawing for a $400 Amazon gift card.
Your Story Can Change Someone Else’s Beginning
Your first prosthetic appointment is a defining moment and one that stays with you.
Together, we can make sure it feels empowering, not overwhelming, for every amputee who comes next.
