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Why was Frida Kahlo’s right leg amputated in 1953?

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Frida Kahlo stands at an easel, holding a paintbrush and working on a portrait of a woman in a white dress, looking toward the camera. — Frida Kahlo Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painting a portrait of Jean Wight in 1931; the work depicts the wife of artist Clifford Wight, who assisted Diego Rivera, Kahlo's husband, when he was painting a number of murals throughout the United States.

Frida Kahlo’s right leg was amputated in 1953 due to the development of gangrene.1

Throughout her life, Kahlo suffered from chronic health issues stemming from a severe bus accident in 1925, which resulted in multiple fractures to her spine, pelvis, and right leg, as well as a crushed right foot. These injuries, combined with a childhood bout of polio, caused her lifelong physical pain and necessitated more than 30 medical procedures. By the early 1950s, her health had significantly declined, leading to frequent hospitalizations and the eventual necessity of the amputation.213