ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Rehabil. Sci.
Sec. Disability, Rehabilitation, and Inclusion
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fresc.2025.1542441
Navigating Life After Multiple Amputations: A Qualitative Exploration of Rehabilitation and Everyday Challenges in Norway
Provisionally accepted
- 1Sunnaas Hospital, Bjørnemyr, Norway
- 2Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- 3Karolinska Institutet (KI), Solna, Sweden
- 4UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
- 5Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
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Purpose: Multiple amputations are a rare outcome following critical illness or injury, with significant impacts on the lives of those affected. This study aimed to explore and describe experiences of everyday life and municipal rehabilitation services among individuals with multiple amputations after their discharge from specialized rehabilitation in Norway.A qualitative research design was used with a lifeworld phenomenology perspective. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews with five community-dwelling adultsone man and four women-who had multiple amputations, including at least one upper extremity. Data were analyzed using systematic text condensation.Result: Four categories emerged to describe the challenges of living with multiple amputations: "Navigating Dependence and Bodily Limitations", "Challenges in Regaining Autonomy", "Rehabilitation Challenges and Adjusting Expectations", and "Adapting to a New Normal".Participants experienced dependence, vulnerability, and a restricted lifeworld. The contrast between life with and without prosthetics underscores their vital role in autonomy. Unmet
Keywords: multiple amputations1, limb loss2, lifeworld3, rehabilitation4, disability5
Received: 09 Dec 2024; Accepted: 17 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Enersen, Løke, Roaldsen and Sviland. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kirsti Skavberg Roaldsen, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Solna, Sweden
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