Hand

Many of our local physicians refer hand problems to us. Often, patients ask, “What am I doing in a plastic surgeon’s office when what I need is hand surgery, not plastic surgery.” Although it is not widely known plastic surgeons do a great deal of hand surgery. A large part of our training and one fourth of our certifying examination to become board-certified plastic surgeons is in hand surgery. In some communities, such as ours, plastic surgeons do most of the emergency hand surgery. Plastic surgeons tend to do a lot of hand surgery because much of what we do is very intricate surgery requiring a good understanding of both form and function, a comprehensive knowledge of the pertinent anatomy, and fine surgical technique, all of which are essential to good hand surgery. The hand is uniquely complex and plastic surgeons are especially qualified to work in this area. In addition to hand trauma, we perform elective hand surgery such as treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, release of trigger fingers, removal of ganglions and mucous cysts, removal of skin cancers, and correction of Dupuytren’s Contracture. In the area of trauma, we repair tendon lacerations, treat hand fractures, reconstruct mangling injuries and amputations, and treat hand burns. So, the next time your neighbor asks why you are going to see a plastic surgeon for that hand problem, well, you’ll be able to give an answer!