General

WHAT IS HAND SURGERY?

Hand surgery is a subspecialty of medicine which deals with diseases of the hand covering the area of the elbow and below. Hand surgeons have either a Plastic or Orthopedic surgery background. The hand has a complex and delicate anatomy and extra training and surgical experience is required for surgeons who deal with diseases of the hand. The purpose of hand surgery is the treatment of a broad range of problems that affect the hand, whether they result from cuts, burns, crushing injuries to the hand, or disease processes. Hand surgery includes procedures that treat traumatic injuries of the hands (such as tendon lacerations, nerve injuries, bone fractures, amputations) congenital deformities, repetitive stress injuries, deformities caused by arthritis and similar disorders affecting the joints, nail problems etc.

The central priority of the hand surgeon is adequate reconstruction of the skin, bone, nerve, tendon, and joint(s) in the hand. Proper repair of any cuts, tears, or burns in the skin will help to ensure a wound free of infection and will provide cover for the anatomical structures beneath the skin. Early repair and grafting is an essential component of hand surgery. Nerve repair is important because a delay in reconnecting the nerve fibers may affect the recovery of sensation in the hand. In some cases, the patient’s hand may require several operations over a period of time to complete the repair.

It is very important any hand injury or disease to be treated by a hand specialist, so the patients will have the best outcome and treatment.

Hand surgeons treat the vast pathology of the hand combining plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery skills.