Hand surgery

Hand surgery treats injuries to the tendons, nerves, vessels and skin of the hand and arm. The hand is a very fine structure: even a cut that looks small can cost a finger its movement or feeling.

When to seek help urgently

• After a cut, a finger will not bend or straighten: a tendon may be divided
• Numbness or loss of feeling in a finger: a nerve may be injured
• A finger or hand has been severed: wrap the part in a clean cloth, put it in a watertight bag and place the bag in iced water; do not let it touch the ice directly

Conditions treated

• Flexor tendon injuries: cuts or ruptures of the tendons that bend the finger
• Extensor tendon injuries: damage to the tendons that straighten the finger
• Tendon rupture and neglected tendon injuries
• Trigger thumb: the thumb stays bent and straightens with pain and a click
• Nerve and vessel injuries: repaired with microsurgery
• Tightness in the hand after burns, and deformities of the arm and hand

Treatment and rehabilitation

The sooner a divided tendon is repaired, the better the result: the ideal time is within the first days. After surgery the hand is kept in a special splint and staged movement exercises are done under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Full recovery usually takes two to three months, and doing the exercises matters as much as the operation itself.