What is hand surgery?

If your hand is impaired in any way, surgery may improve your condition. This type of very specialized surgery can treat diseases that cause pain and impair the strength, function and flexibility of your wrist and fingers.

Surgery seeks to restore to near normal the function of fingers and hands injured by trauma or to correct abnormalities that were present at birth.

Hand surgery can treat:

1. Carpal tunnel syndrome
A condition caused by pressure to the median nerve within the wrist, or carpal tunnel. You might feel pain, a tingling sensation, numbness of the fingers, weakness or aching.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is associated with multiple conditions including: repetitive motion or overuse, fluid retention during pregnancy, injury to the nerve in the carpal tunnel or rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis
A disabling disease that can cause severe inflammation in any joint of the body. In the hand, it can deform fingers and impair movement.
3. Dupuytren’s contracture
A disabling hand disorder in which thick, scar-like tissue bands form within the palm and may extend into the fingers. It can cause restricted movement, bending the fingers into an abnormal position.

What you should know before undergoing hand surgery

Hand surgery is a highly individualized procedure which can be performed on people of any age and is a good option for you if:

• · You do not have additional medical conditions or other illnesses that may impair healing
• · You are a non-smoker
• · You have a positive outlook and realistic goals for your hand surgery
• · You are committed to following your plastic surgeon’s prescribed course of treatment
• · In some conditions, hand surgery is necessary to treat wounds and to help painful conditions

Be prepared to discuss:

• · Why you want the procedure, your expectations and desired outcome
• · Why you want the procedure, your expectations and desired outcome
• · Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
• · Previous surgeries

Your surgeon may also:

• · Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
• · Examine your hand in detail
• · Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment to restore hand function
• · Discuss likely outcomes of hand surgery and any risks or potential complications

Important facts about the safety and risks of hand surgery

The decision to have hand surgery is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

Your plastic surgeon and/or staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo, the alternatives and the most likely risks and potential complications.

Some of the risks include:

• · Bleeding (hematoma)
• · Blood clots
• · Infection
• · Anaesthesia risks
• · Unfavourable scarring
• · Change in skin sensation
• · Skin contour irregularities
• · Skin discoloration/swelling
• · Poor healing of incisions
• · Unexpected hand swelling
• · Allergies to tape, suture materials and glues, blood
    products, topical preparations or injected agents
• · Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary
    complications
• · Damage to deeper structures (such as nerves, blood
    vessels, muscles, and lungs — can occur and may be
    temporary or permanent)
• · Pain, which may persist
• · Possibility of revision surgery

Be sure to ask questions:

It’s very important to ask your plastic surgeon questions about your procedure. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be shy about discussing these feelings with your plastic surgeon.

Carte Blanche - Hand Reattached Video

"Walking away from a nightclub, young Zander Vermeulen was attacked by a panga-wielding assailant who hacked his hand so badly that it hung by a strand of flesh. The attack was brutal and senseless, raising suspicions that the motive might be linked to gang initiation rites. But through emergency surgery, doctors managed to reattach his severed hand. Can modern surgical techniques restore its functionality completely? Carte Blanche follows his journey to recovery."