IPOP Prosthesis
There are more aggressive approaches to post operative care that may include the use of a rigid dressing or what is termed an Immediate Post-Operative Prosthesis or IPOP. An IPOP is an immediate postoperative prosthesis that is used as an early form of prosthetic intervention.
The benefit of being fit with an IPOP prosthesis is early ambulation if allowed by your physician. An IPOP prosthesis is also said to help with phantom limb sensation, because you can see that there is a leg, or in this sense, a prosthesis attached.
IPOP prostheses also protect the residual limb from being injured. Many times, a patient will wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and forget that their limb has been amputated. When they get out of bed and try to stand on both limbs, they fall down and re-injure thesurgery site.
An IPOP prosthesis will protect the end of the residual limb should this occur. There are many different types of postoperative care and your physician will help you choose which the best is for you.