Amputation in Spanish

What it means

Amputation is the removal by surgery of a limb (arm or leg) or other body part because of injury or disease, such as diabetes or cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) dictionary. MedlinePlus explains that people can lose all or part of an arm or leg for many reasons, including problems with the flow of blood through the body, which may be the result of atherosclerosis or diabetes, as well as injuries, cancer, and birth defects. Some amputees have phantom pain, which is the feeling of pain in the missing limb. Many amputees use an artificial limb, and physical therapy can help a person adapt. MedlinePlus adds that recovery from the loss of a limb can be hard and that sadness, anger, and frustration are common.

Spanish term: Amputación
Gender and article: feminine: la amputación (plural: las amputaciones)
Pronunciation: ahm-poo-tah-SYOHN

Amputación is the headword of the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, which defines it as the extirpación de un miembro (brazo o pierna) u otra parte del cuerpo mediante cirugía. The Real Academia Española dictionary marks the noun as feminine and defines it as the action and effect of amputar, so it takes la and una: la amputación, una amputación. MedlinePlus en español glosses the word in passing as la extirpación quirúrgica de una extremidad.

The MedlinePlus en español health topic that covers the subject is titled Pérdida de extremidades (limb loss), with Pérdida de una parte del cuerpo given as another name for the topic. Words that page uses alongside amputación are amputados (amputees), dolor fantasma (phantom pain, described there as the sensation of pain in the limb that was lost), extremidades artificiales (artificial limbs) and fisioterapia (physical therapy). The National Cancer Institute's entry uses miembro where MedlinePlus en español uses extremidad for a limb.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	The infection in your foot has not improved, so I want to talk with you about an amputation.	La infección del pie no ha mejorado, así que quiero hablar con usted sobre una amputación.
Patient	Would the amputation be below the knee or above the knee?	¿La amputación sería por debajo de la rodilla o por encima de la rodilla?
Patient	I have diabetes. Is that why the wound on my toe will not heal?	Tengo diabetes. ¿Por eso no sana la herida que tengo en el dedo del pie?
Clinician	Do you have any questions about the surgery before you sign the consent form?	¿Tiene alguna pregunta sobre la cirugía antes de firmar el formulario de consentimiento?
Patient	Since the amputation, I still feel pain in the foot that is no longer there.	Desde la amputación, todavía siento dolor en el pie que ya no tengo.
Clinician	That is called phantom pain. Tell me when it happens and how strong it is.	Eso se llama dolor fantasma. Dígame cuándo le ocurre y qué tan fuerte es.
Patient	When can I be measured for an artificial leg?	¿Cuándo me pueden tomar las medidas para una pierna artificial?
Clinician	In physical therapy, they will work with you while you learn to use the artificial limb.	En fisioterapia trabajarán con usted mientras aprende a usar la extremidad artificial.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Amputation
Spanish (Español)	Amputación
Chinese (中文)	截肢術
Korean (한국어)	절단술
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Phẫu thuật cắt cụt chi
Filipino (Tagalog)	Amputation
Portuguese (Português)	Amputação
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	การตัดแขนหรือขา
Japanese (日本語)	切断術

Where you'll see it

operative reportsurgical consent formEOBbilldischarge summary

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.