If you are suffering from pain and loss of function in your hands, conservative treatments may not provide sufficient results. That’s when orthopaedic hand surgery comes in and plays an indispensable role in revitalizing your hands.
Let’s talk about the types of hand surgery available and where you can go in Palm Beach County, FL, for orthopaedic care.
Why Would Someone Need Hand Surgery?
Hand surgery repairs the appearance and/or the function of a hand compromised by:
- Arthritis or other degenerative condition
- Congenital or acquired deformity
- Injury, including traumatic or repetitive motion injuries
- Infection
People also come to the orthopaedic clinic with swelling, numbness and tingling, limited movements and strength, and other painful symptoms.
After initial assessment and diagnosis, many hand patients start a conservative treatment program that may involve anything from physical therapy and over-the-counter pain medications to injection therapies, such as cortisone shots and splinting.
However, some conditions simply cannot respond to these interventions or meet patient’s pain reduction goals and return to full function. So, depending on the diagnosis, the orthopaedic surgeon may recommend surgery.
Types of Hand Surgery in Boynton Beach, FL
Hand surgeries address comprehensive orthopaedic conditions. Your particular surgery may be minimally-invasive, using small instruments and limited cutting and suturing, or it may be open surgery, with more tissue disruption, grafting, etc.
Most hand surgery patients adhere to a graduated pain relief program and physical therapy (massage, exercise, targeted functional capacity therapies, heat, and cold application, etc.). Depending on the procedure, bandaging and splinting may continue for days to weeks.
Here are a few hand surgery types available through your orthopaedic surgeon in Palm Beach County.
Replantation
Replantation surgery re-attaches viable damaged tissues through fine microsurgery techniques and is effective for traumatic damage, including amputation of the hand, fingers, or other structures. These techniques address restoration of motor function, innervation, and vascularization.
Nerve Repair
This delicate reconstruction repairs nerve damage due to injury, disease, or chronic degenerative conditions. Nerve ends may be sutured together, or the hand surgeon may graft nerve tissue into the affected area.
Tendon Repair
Tendons connect muscle to bone. On the hand, they may be damaged due to infection, trauma, or repetitive motion. Typically, tendon surgery involves a tendon graft taken from another area of the patient’s body.
Joint Arthroplasty
This procedure involves the replacement of one or more joints in hand with metal or plastic parts. The desired therapeutic outcomes are pain reduction, increased strength and range of motion, and normalization of appearance. Most hand joint arthroplasties are performed on individuals with advanced osteoarthritis.
Fasciotomy
This single-incision procedure reduces the pressure, pain, and swelling resulting from compartment syndrome, especially originating from musculoskeletal injury to the hand, wrist, or forearm.
Closed Reduction
This surgery repairs multiple and complex fractures of the hand, wrist, and forearm. The hand surgeon first joins bone ends together and then stabilizes them with hardware, such as screws, wire, or plates. These metal components are permanent.
Skin Flaps and Grafts
Some patients need skin flap surgery to augment nerve tissue, blood vessels, skin, and the musculature of the hand. Tissue comes from donors or other areas of the patient’s own body. Skin grafts add healthy donor skin to hands damaged areas by amputations and burns.
Hand Surgery in Palm Beach County, FL
If you’re experiencing hand, wrist, or forearm problems, consider Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches. Our hand surgery specialist Dr. Jennifer Tucker is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who fully assesses patients of all ages. We offer current treatment modalities, including methods to help keep your hand supple and functional.
To learn more about our services or schedule an appointment, call our office today, or fill out our convenient online appointment form.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. For advice about your condition, talk with your physician. Request an appointment with our team.
