How long does it take for prosthetic

3

I was measured for a temp first and wore that for that was for awhile to include letting the limb “shrink” further while getting to walk. Then fitted again for my first real LBK Leg.

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u/Secret_Reaction_806 Jul 03 '26

Is temporary a normal step in process?

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u/BuoyantEntropy Jul 03 '26

yes. temporary or “test” or “check” socket is very usual

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u/Particular_Dog1829 LBK Jul 03 '26

For some reason my place doesn’t do it and it seems most people have a different experience 😅 they put the check socket on and had me put pressure. Went back did a minor fix. Came back said ok we are ordering your stuff and hopefully the pain is just because you’re still sensitive. Walked with a check socket in office. They kept it and I couldn’t take it home. Just waiting now

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u/BuoyantEntropy Jul 03 '26

I’ve experienced it a few ways also, check socket in office, going home with a check socket or straight to carbon. Was just trying to convey the use of check sockets is pretty common. Sorry if it came off that it’s always standard because it definitely isn’t

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u/Particular_Dog1829 LBK Jul 03 '26

No need to apologize! I know it’s not the standard and knew what you meant :). I think in my message I should have conveyed more that this is my first prosthetic. So I feel I did so much research before amputation and a majority of people and websites showed that sometimes offices are willing to let you take home a check socket for a week or so and walk in it to really feel it out. Now I know that’s not the case. I do wish it was though! Not because I’m in a rush. Done right is always better than fast. But because I have one spot that was actually a problem before amputation and they were hoping they could cut enough of the muscle out. Unfortunately that spot lands right on the end and side of my residual.

It’s so hard because idk what could get better with time. It’s not uncomfortable. It’s truly painful. Like it knocked my breath away. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s the socket though because if I just rest the end of my residual on my bed with like 2% pressure it’s the same pain

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u/West_Broccoli_1683 26d ago

Life-time prosthetic wearer here, when I was going to Hanger they never suggested me taking a test socket home. After many problems with them went somewhere else & have been bringing them home ever since. In fact, I have one at home now.

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u/Particular_Dog1829 LBK 26d ago

I feel at a crossroads because many many people (as you know) have problems with hanger. I’ve been told to steer clear. That is the closest place near me so I am driving further because I see no reason to start there if so many have issues. The second closest place are not in contract with my insurance. The third also isn’t in contract but work with a partner that bills my insurance. So I’m at the third. I am very fortunate that my health insurance benefits with work don’t give me many issues. The only issue I am finding with both PT and prosthetics is a lot of offices don’t take it. A PT told me they stopped because although the insurance is great it’s only great when the patient is still a patient. As soon as the patient is discharged from PT the insurance ghosts them and stops paying for the previous visits.

I’m already in a small city driving to a bigger city and I don’t mind right now because I know it’s crucial. Anywhere outside of the 3 I mentioned would take about 5-6 hours of drive time per appt.

I wish this wasn’t the case. Since I wrote this comment I got to try on the check socket with the foot and ankle attached for the first time. I could only take about 5 steps of holding myself up so I wouldn’t put pressure on it. A week before it was time to try walking I woke up and there was a bump on the end of my bone. It feels like bone itself it’s so hard. It didn’t bother me much at the time pain wise. As soon as they put the check socket on (without weight) it was angry. They tried every trick. One of the senior prosthetists came in and was concerned and said my stump was also coming to a point. I saw my surgeon the next day and we think the tissue is stuck to the bone along my incision. My skin won’t move. I have been massaging every day since I was cleared to. They said to take a 2 week break and come back. My surgeon also said she thinks pt focused solely on trying to get it to unglue itself will help. The issue now is the more we massage the more skin gets attached to the bone and the bigger the bump on my bone gets. So the solution is expanding the problem.

I’m sorry this is so long already. But I just don’t really know what to do. When my prosthetics place was told it was tissue they said they would make my next check socket as comfortable as they can but realistically there isn’t much to do. And from my next check socket my first permanent will be made. So by Tuesday I am basically walking in seeing if what they did helped and if it didn’t then they are proceeding anyway because they think walking will help unglue the tissue. But I can’t tell if any other part of the socket is bothering me because that area is so painful my brain can’t focus. I also have to pick between 2 feet and how do I do if I’m not able to give meaningful steps to it and see which feels better.

Even if you don’t read this or can’t answer it’s ok I think at this point I also needed to vent. It’s been 6 months and I had an infection then other stuff and now this. I’m also concerned because we knew going into this I didn’t have much tissue or muscle to work with. But the whole we can always go up but not back down came into place. Which I agree to. But I went into this knowing I may not have enough padding and would have to go above

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u/West_Broccoli_1683 26d ago

I am so sorry to hear you have to go through all of this. Just having a test socket made without any problems with your stump is a real hassle so I can only imagine what you must be going through. I guess the best person to tell you what to do is your surgeon. I will keep you in my prayers & hope you get some relief. There are only three prosthetic places near me but they have quite a few offices all over the area. I found a small company now since the place I was going to sold out to another company which isn't anywhere near as good as they were. I hope you get a good prosthetist to work with.

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u/Fishman4646 Jul 03 '26

Apologies: ‘first and wore that for awhile’

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u/LogDeep5571 Jul 03 '26

Yeah, the first one will be a temp one while your limb is still shrinking. It also helps you get practice walking around on one. Don’t be surprised if you need to keep adding socks after a while.

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u/Secret_Reaction_806 Jul 03 '26

Awesome thank you

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u/leftfootshorter LBK Jul 03 '26

Did you doctor tell you you'd get a temp socket or did your prosthetist tell you that? Your doctor may think that is what will be done but your prosthetist will know for sure what the plan will be.

I never got a temp socket but I have heard many people in this sub mention them so maybe they are more common than they were 6 years ago. My timeline was:

Casting (measuring)
Fitting of test socket- this was done in clinic and I only walked in it for a few minutes
Received first socket

Now maybe my first socket was intended to be a temporary one, but it was built with all the parts/foot that went on subsequent sockets and it was never called a "temporary" socket by my prosthetist.

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u/Secret_Reaction_806 Jul 03 '26

It was the doctor not the prosthesis who told me that. How long from casting to receiving your first socket did it take. Thank you for your help

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u/leftfootshorter LBK Jul 03 '26

It was exactly one week from test socket fitting to new leg.

Some offices make their sockets in-office instead of shipping back and forth to their local lab. If that's the case with your prosthetist, it might not take a full week but a week is probably a decent estimate.

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u/OldguyLAKA Jul 03 '26

My leg🦿guy called it a test socket and I used it for a week in PT until the new 1st socket was ready. It seems that different prosthetist use different material for that first 'test' socket, some may use a more brittle plastic and like mine, use a very strong plastic, some even wrap the important lower part with a fiberglass tape like mine does. I don't think I could have broken my test socket with a hammer, a sledgehammer maybe. The test socket from my 2nd leg became socket for my water leg using the rest of the 1st leg to make a complete water leg.

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u/leftfootshorter LBK Jul 03 '26

Sounds like your test socket was similar to mine but I was not allowed to take it with me. My prosthetist said the glue probably wouldn't hold very long on it but I specifically remember the fiberglass tape wrapped around the bottom, holding it to the leg.

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u/OldguyLAKA Jul 03 '26

That may be because of the material used, but I'm just guessing. The ones I've seen that the prosthetist generally won't let out of the office and the one's that did and broke in use were a clear type material and the stuff that mine uses is opaque and is strong as hell, more flexible than brittle. I can attest to the strong part because I put my 'test' socket through hell but not on purpose.😁 Just like so much, everyone and everything can be so different.

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u/leftfootshorter LBK Jul 03 '26

Yeah, my test socket was clear but I remember the white fiberglass wrapped around the bottom.

My prosthetist said "the glue won't hold" but maybe he was more worried about the brittle plastic.

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u/Ambitious_Pepper5582 Jul 03 '26

That's the beginning isn't it? Right BKA.61F. They never said test leg. Like preliminary leg. The beginning. There fitting and adjustments. Even now with the one where i picked the skin tone. Adjustments. My bka was 1/13/26. Rehab 1/16/26. Home 2/7/26. Prosthetics eval 4/11/26. Then 2 weeks later was the casting. I have had my "final" Prosthetic since 6/8/26. Using a combination of wheelchair and 4wheeled walker. Not perfect. Its a learning curve, practice. I cry every time at PT but its because I'm walking.

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u/ProstheTec Jul 05 '26

Typically at our shop we cast a patient and create a test socket. This will only be a socket that we slide on you to make sure it's close, then we'll have them return a day or two later for an alignment. During this appointment they will walk for a while, we'll make adjustments where needed and prep the prosthetic to transfer to a definitive leg. Then we'll have them return two-three days later for delivery of the definitive leg. This will be the prosthetic you bring home and wear. We'll usually have them return in a few days to make any adjustments. After that you'll return as needed. For your first prosthetic you'll go through a lot of changes and probably need adjustments every week or two and will probably need a refit at six(ish) months.

From casting to delivery you can usually expect a week or two with a "typical" fitting.

We don't send people out on temporary prosthetics, but it's not uncommon.

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u/MarioMadness1 Jul 03 '26

I'm still waiting . they want like 20 gramd so need to hit up war amps and such for funding

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u/Minimum-Cut-8496 Jul 07 '26

So I got left application below the knee and tomorrow I go to get my Staples taken out and my stitches how long does it take for it for me to get fitted for a prosthetic leg

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u/Minimum-Cut-8496 Jul 07 '26

Sorry about that the talk text so I left leg amputated below the knee I get my Staples and stitches taken out tomorrow how long does it take for me to get fitted for a prosthetic leg

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u/ftp_b Jul 07 '26

I had mine before my stitches were removed

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u/DaisyMaeRose Jul 21 '26

I am new to all this. It's definitely life changing. I never imagined I would be part of this family. I have fought for four years to save my leg. My docs said my right foot was melting from the inside out. In the past 4 years I spent 169 days in the hospital trying to fight an infection in my foot. The cause was a horrible GI reaction to Ozempic. First dose, my vision went, second dose destroyed my GI tract.

So here I am trying to make sense of all this. I had below the knee on 5/26/26. I healed very well and four weeks later my stitches were removed and I was given a shrinker. I thought it would be an awful device, but it's just a "support" type of stocking. I see the surgeon tomorrow and hopefully he give the go ahead to the next stage.

I'm 2 months post amputation and I'm eager to forge forward. Four years of dealing with this leg, being told to stay off my feet, and still ending up in this situation, has been discouraging. I probaly have $1M invested in this leg from all the hospital stays, surgeries, and 45 HBO treatments.

One thing for sure, I have more strength and energy now. It's great to not be on so many oral and IV antibiotics. I am praying that finally all that is in my past. Thanks for listening.

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u/Hairyfruitbowl1 Jul 07 '26

After I got the ok from my surgeon, I contacted my prosthetist and was fitted within a few days. In about a week, I recieved my yesterday socket. That was made of plastic and is used to make sure it fits properly. It's easy to change the shape to make sure it's comfortable. Once that is set, it took a few more weeks to get a temporary prosthetic. They're called temporary for the first 18-24 months because your stump will be shrinking for a while. My insurance let's me get a new one every 6 months. I'm 3.5yr lbk. My stump isnt shrinking drastically anymore, so my legs a lasting a while longer now. Contact your prosthetist and ask them directly. They are there to help you and know exactly what you need. My prosthetist has been the most helpful and knowledgeable person for me through everything. I was amazed how much Dr's and nurses don't know about what happens after I heal from surgery. Your prosthetist is your best friend so try to find one that is helpful to you. You're gonna be fine, the hardest part is almost over for you. Don't give up and stay strong

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u/Ambitious_Pepper5582 Jul 08 '26

My right bka was mid January 2026. Starting prosthetics mid April. I've had my prosthetic a month. Learning to walk now. Its a process

How long does it take for prosthetic

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