What is a Hand Surgeon?
Many people have never heard of a Hand Surgeon!
As a scientist and surgeon who has devoted his life to studying the hand, wrist, and forearm, I am always quite surprised to hear a patient say, "I have never heard of a hand surgeon! What do you do?"
Our hands serve many purposes. Hands help us eat, dress, write, earn a living, create art, and do many other activities. To do these activities, our hands require sensation and movement, such as joint motion, tendon gliding, and muscle contraction. Nerves have to fire, skin has to bend, bones have to be strong, fingernails have to help us pick up small objects.
Hand surgeons are the specialists who take care of:
- Joints
- Tendons
- Bones
- Muscles
- Nerves
- Skin
- Fingernails
in our hands, wrists, and arms.
What I do is help you return your arm to normal function as fast as possible. I have had many years of specialized training in medicine, then five years in orthopedics, then two years specialized full-time research in tendons in the hand, followed by a year of advanced training in hand surgery (called a fellowship). Along the way, I have had to pass rigorous exams in medicine, orthopedics, and finally in hand surgery. I have passed recertification exams in hand surgery.
I am not only Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery, I have passed a Board Examination and therefore hold a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery. I devote my entire career to taking care of only hands: I do not do cosmetic surgery, backs, etc. I only do hands. I am a true hand surgeon.
