Hand surgery is a broad term that includes a variety of different procedures. It may be carried out to restore hand and finger function, relieve pain, or for cosmetic reasons to make the hand look and feel as normal as possible. Due to the delicate structure of the hand, a hand surgeon is the best choice if you are considering hand surgery. Hand surgeons have the expertise and extensive surgical experience in the delicate procedures that are necessary to treat hand conditions effectively.
Because the hands and wrists are used so much in our daily lives, they can be susceptible to a variety of injuries and conditions. These can cause a range of symptoms such as pain, weakness, and reduced function.
How Can A Hand Surgeon Help?
A hand surgeon specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing disorders in the hand and wrist. They can treat people of all ages, who are experiencing hand or wrist pain, weakness, or problems with mobility and function.
Hand surgeons offer a variety of treatments and specialize in hand surgery, which may be carried out for many reasons, including:
- Treating hand injuries, such as lacerations, burns, fractures, or crush injuries
- Repairing damaged structures in the hand, such as tendons and nerves
- To relieve nerve compression
- To treat severe infections
- To correct congenital or birth defects
- To treat degenerative conditions, such as arthritis, which can damage or change the structures in the hand
- Replantation (to reattach a body part, such as a finger)
Surgery is usually only considered when more conservative treatments have been fully explored and no longer provide relief, or to treat severe damage caused by an injury or condition.
Why Consider a Hand Surgeon?
If you are considering hand or wrist surgery, a specialist hand surgeon can be the best option to ensure you achieve the most successful results. Whereas a general orthopedic surgeon can treat a range of disorders affecting the whole body, a hand surgeon has completed additional, specialist training that focuses on the hand, wrist, and arm. Therefore, they have a profound understanding of the complex networks of blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, and bones that make up the hand, fingers, and wrist.
This subspecialty of hand surgery ensures the surgeon has the knowledge, skill, and experience to perform many delicate surgical procedures that are required to relieve hand pain and improve the function and appearance of the hand.
Hand surgeons are able to perform many types of surgeries on the hand, but they are also fully up-to-date on nonsurgical and advanced treatments, including regenerative treatments, such as PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy, which may be a better option for some patients.
When to Visit a Hand Surgeon
If you have a minor hand or wrist injury, such as a strain or sprain, these can often be treated successfully with self-care, such as rest, immobilization, ice and over-the-counter pain relievers. However, you may need to visit a hand surgeon for further investigation and treatment if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Persistent pain that fails to improve with rest
- Bruising, tenderness, or swelling around the hand or wrist, or pain that extends to the elbow
- A limited range of motion in the wrist, hand, and/or fingers
- Signs of infection such as warmth, swelling, or redness
- Difficulty using the hand for day-to-day tasks
- A weak grip
- Tingling/numbness regularly in your fingers or hand
- Have a loss of muscle tone in the hand
- Deformity and loss of function in the hands, due to a chronic condition, such as arthritis
If you have an injury and experience severe pain, swelling and bruising, limited movement, or an obvious deformity, you should seek immediate medical treatment, as it may indicate a fracture or dislocation, which require urgent treatment.
An experienced hand surgeon has the expert knowledge, skill, and understanding of the complex and delicate nature of the hand, fingers, and wrist. Therefore, they are able to diagnose, treat, and prevent a broad range of common and rare conditions that can affect it.
Best Hand Surgeon Near Me in Miami Lakes and Plantation, FL
If you have a hand condition and wish to explore your treatment options, visit The Orthopaedic Hand and Arm Center for expert orthopaedic care. Specialist hand surgeon Dr. Kinchelow is highly experienced in diagnosing and treating all types of hand, wrist, and shoulder problems and has extensive surgical experience in the delicate procedures that are necessary to relieve hand pain, repair nerve injuries, and preserve or restore normal function to your hands and wrists.
To learn more or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kinchelow, call us today at (954) 635-5300, or use our convenient Request an Appointment form to arrange your visit.
