<unk>  is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventive surgery for such problems. A special case is that of congenital<unk> , a congenital disorder, where fetal limbs have been cut off by constrictive bands. In some countries,<unk>  is currently used to punish people who commit crimes.<unk>  has also been used as a tactic in war and acts of terrorism; it may also occur as a war injury. In some cultures and religions, minor<unk> s or mutilations are considered a ritual accomplishment. When done by a person, the person executing the<unk>  is an<unk> utator. In the US, the majority of new<unk> s occur due to complications of the vascular system (the blood vessels), especially from diabetes. Between 1988 and 1996, there were an average of 133,735 hospital discharges for<unk>  per year in the US. In 2005, just in the US, there were 1.6 million<unk> utees. In 2013, the US had 2.1 million<unk> utees. Approximately 185,000<unk> s occur in the United States each year. In 2009, hospital costs associated with<unk>  totaled more than $8.3 billion. There will be an estimated 3.6 million people in the US living with limb loss by 2050.
Amputation
Vascular bypass
Debridement
Wound closure strip
Wound bed preparation
Guillotine amputation
Tendon transfer
Hernia repair