HOUSTON – April is Limb Loss Awareness month.
Langham Creek High School and Texas A&M University alumnus Cam Ayala, who many will recognize as being a former contestant on the “Bachelorette” and the “Bachelor in Paradise,” underwent an amputation less than a year ago in the Texas Medical Center. Since then, he has flourished through continued outpatient rehab with TIRR Memorial Hermann.
About Cam Ayala
Ayala was born with lymphedema, a condition where there is swelling of tissue, caused by an accumulation of protein-rich fluid that’s usually drained through the body’s lymphatic system. It most commonly affects the arms or legs.
Ayala said he really started to present with the chronic pain and swelling symptoms when he was about 11 years old.
While managing his symptoms, Ayala hoped to do a total knee replacement, but the surgery, which was not performed at Memorial Hermann, did not go as planned.
“When they completed the total knee replacement, I spent almost a year in physical therapy and rehab, and I wasn’t getting any results,” Ayala said. “When we found out that the knee replacement was not performed properly, I basically had the option of doing more revisions -- which, at that point, I already had 18 surgeries -- or we could do something a little bit more radical, which was the above knee amputation.”
After interviewing many orthopedic doctors and other amputees who had already gone through it, Ayala opted for the amputation. It was performed on June 22, 2022. He now wears a prosthetic every day and continues to go through outpatient rehab with TIRR Memorial Hermann.
About the Amputee and Limb Loss Rehabilitation Program
The Amputee and Limb Loss Rehabilitation Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann, which is internationally recognized, prepares patients and their families to cope physically and psychologically with the traumatic or surgical loss of a limb or a congenital limb deficiency.
The rehabilitation process includes a pre-prosthetic program and prosthetic training, when appropriate.
Dr. Vinay Vanodia, with TIRR Memorial Hermann, acknowledge that coping can have a large impact on the entire rehabilitation process, and said the program has a well-rounded support network of patients with team members who assist in the coping aspect of the process.
Vanodia formerly worked as a prosthetist, which eventually led to him studying medicine to care for amputees as a physician.
What is the pre-prosthetic program?
The rehabilitation process begins postoperatively, with a pre-prosthetic program that focuses on preparing the limb for a possible prosthesis. The goals of this phase of rehabilitation are:
- Wound and pain management.
- Proper positioning and prevention of contractures.
- Building strength and endurance.
- Learning the skills necessary to achieve maximum independence without a prosthesis.
What is prosthetic training?
First, the treatment team at TIRR Memorial Hermann works with the patient to determine if prosthetic training is an appropriate route for their long-term plan. If so, the next phase of rehabilitation involves team collaboration with a prosthetist to ascertain the type of prosthesis and then followed by an intensive training program to ensure optimal fit and function.
Once the patient’s prosthetic training is completed, the outpatient follow-up assures continued comfort and functional independence with the prosthesis.
To hear more about Ayala’s story and how TIRR Memorial Hermann helped him, watch the video above.
To learn more about the program, tap or click here, or call 713-222-2273.