Amputation...

[MrJamie18]

If you're having a limb amputated, are you allowed to keep it? Because I would have thought that it's legally your property?

[LitChick]

Another EXCELLENT question that I don't have the answer to...

[birdy72]

Dunno, but would you think of having it sent to the taxidermist? And what instructions would you have to sum your limb's life up.... fingers holding a spliff?

[Dark Angel]

No, I would imagine it would rot, so why do you want to keep a rotting limb with you?

[johnny5]

i think legally as to wether you own it or not when you get stopped leaving the hospital and they take it off you . you wont have a leg to stand on . boom. boom.

 just an 'armless bit of fun boom boom

[philandlil]

you can keep your appendix so i don't see why they wouldn't let you if you really wanted to, maybe they would put it in one of those preserving jars for you!

[nicola_red]

I would've thought that preserving a limb would be a bit of a big and expensive job for the NHS - plus they'd hopefully use the tissue for research or practice or something.  I wanted to ask the hospital what they did with the scar tissue they took out of my knee, but I forgot.  They did give me the pins from inside my leg on two occasions, though - I still have them in a box at home.

[drinki]

After losing a limb I don�t think the first thing on your mind is if you can keep it or not!

The answer is no, My Father his hand amputated. The hospital keeps the limb to use in matching skin tissues for grafts etc. They did keep it cold liquid storage for some time afterwards whilst making a prosthetic hand. They used the amputated hand to get a similar size & colour match. He lost is hand over 20 years ago and has had 4 plastic hands it that time, these have been has his body size changes. Each time the hands have become more realistic looking.

[hopalong]

I had my full right leg amputated in 1978 on the same day my gran was cremated.  If I had thought about it would have put ask for my leg to be placed in her coffin for a decent cremation instead of being tossed into a incinerlator.

[Dark Angel]

Hopalong - you are not serious are you? You really had your leg amputated?

[hopalong]

Yes Dark Angle look here

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cassidy/index.htm

[hopalong]

remove the <p> from url

[butter1]

Hopalong, I must say after reading your story I think you are a very courageous man.  I admire your strength.  Good luck for the future.

[silly moo]

Why would you want to ?
On a more serious note I would think that as soon as the limb is amputated it becomes clinical waste, and there are laws to deal with how this is disposed of.

[Impret-Sir]

Surely the point is that the limb would not have been amputated unless there was something radically wrong with it, either it was smashed beyond recognition, or filled with tumor or burned to a crisp, or similar, in such circumstances, why would anyone want to keep it? It would just be a pile of bloody tissue and bone.

[rampart]

I'd probably ask to keep it, but doubt the doctors and mrs rampart would permit this.

Hopalong - your site is interesting. You've got strength. Would buy you a pint if I could.

[hopalong]

I dont drink Rampart, (unusal for a Scotsman) but I'd have a coke though without ice ;-)

[Dark Angel]

Hopalong - thanks so much for that website. I think you are very brave.

[judypark]

Remember from med school days that bodies actually become the property of the state, ie. the coroner and not the family, so maybe body parts do as well. This has been grimly illustrated with the recent bombings in London. This also controls the safe disposal of such things, if families were given free reign as to where their relatives were buried, we might be digging up somebodies great gran in the spud patch. Judy

[hopalong]

Judypart,  I was only joking about puting my leg in with my gran

[judypark]

Hopalong, I'm sure if your Gran shared your great sense of humour, she would have thought it a great hoot! Judy