Emergency

G.F. Strong Outpatient Amputee Program

Related topics: Physical therapy Physical therapy & rehabilitation

The G.F. Strong Outpatient Amputee Program provides rehabilitation services for patients after discharge from the hospital following an amputation.

Amputee rehabilitation is the process of helping individuals with limb loss adjust to their amputation and begin their recovery to achieve their full physical, psychological and social potential. It involves learning how to care for your skin and prosthesis, as well as relearning basic self-care and mobility. Goals such as return to work, school, leisure, home and community activities will also be explored.

What to expect

While we see some people for a pre-amputation consult, most people will not begin rehab until at least ten days after discharge from the hospital following your amputation. Following an initial assessment, the team will establish your rehab goals and the frequency of your appointments. This frequency may decrease over time as you do more at home and in your community. 

Several factors can influence the length of rehab, such as your skin healing, ability to learn new ways of doing things, goals, fitness level, and emotional adjustment to your amputation. There is also a lengthy prosthetic fitting process before receiving your final permanent prosthesis. 

Learning to walk again, as normally as possible, takes a lot longer than most people think it should. It takes your residual limb some time to tolerate the pressures of your body weight and learn new skills with your prosthesis. A previously healthy person may progress to walking as independently as able in approximately three months following a below-knee amputation and about 5-7 months following an above-knee amputation.

Resources

Your care team

Depending on your needs, your care team may include 

  • Physiatrist (rehab doctor),
  • Physiotherapist,
  • Occupational therapist and
  • Social worker. 

The team will also work closely with your prosthetist. Services such as dietary, driver rehabilitation, psychology, recreation therapy, sexual health, and vocational rehabilitation are available as required.

How to access

  • Check eligibility

    We see a variety of people with amputations:

    • New amputees with upper limb or lower limb amputations
    • Mature amputees who desire functional upgrading
    • Elective or voluntary amputees, people considering amputation for longstanding chronic pain and dysfunction (previous injuries)
    • Out-of-town admissions are considered on a case-by-case basis when this service is not available in your home community.

  • Get a referral

    Amputee Program referrals can be made by a physiatrist (a doctor specializing in rehabilitation and prosthetics) or another specialist or family doctor. Please talk with your doctor, who can refer you to us.

    G.F. Strong outpatient referral form

    Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic

    If you require a team assessment by a physiatrist (rehab doctor) and a prosthetist/orthotist/physiotherapist, you may be referred to the G.F. Strong Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic using the G.F. Strong outpatient referral form.

This service is available at
This service is available at

Outpatient Amputee Program at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre

4255 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2G9
See directions on Google Maps

Hours of operation

Currently closed
  • Monday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Thursday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Friday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday:   Closed
  • Sunday:   Closed