Hand Surgery

Dramatic advances have been made in recent years in treating patients with injuries, degenerative disorders, and birth defects of the hand.

At the forefront of these advances have been plastic surgeons - specialists whose major interest is improving both function and appearance.

Plastic surgeons undergo intensive training in hand surgery, and they (along with orthopedic surgeons and general surgeons) treat patients with a wide range of hand problems.  Whether the defect is congenital or acquired, plastic surgeons can usually restore comfort, mobility, and normal appearance to patients with hand problems.

Acquired defects include carpal tunnel and other painful conditions caused by pressure on the nerves (usually at the wrist or elbow); trigger fingers, a condition caused by swelling of a flexor tendon in the hand; ganglion cysts, a benign cystic growth and scar contracture which occurs when a wound or burn on the hand heals poorly and forms scar tissue that curls the fingers or restricts mobility.  Dupuytren's disease causes a similar problem of hand contracture.

Children born with Syndactyly (webbed fingers) can benefit from finger separation, where a zig-zag-type incision separates the fingers and rearranges the tissue between them, preventing growth deformities. 

If a child has Polydactyly (extra fingers), correction is often more than simply removing the extra digits.  The surgeon may also need to balance the tendons of the hand and stabilise the remaining finger joints so that the hand functions as normally as possible.

Plastic surgeons also reconstruct missing digits, including the thumb, which supplies half of the hand's function.  

Please ask your doctor for further information.