Hand Surgery

When an injury or degenerative condition (such as arthritis) results in severe dysfunction of the hand, surgery may be recommended to restore the patient's dexterity and prevent the further progression of joint or tendon deterioration. During surgery, diseased tissue may be removed, joints may be replaced or repaired with prosthetics, tendons may be transferred or a joint fusion may take place. Patients will usually require several weeks of rehabilitation therapy to help regain their hand strength and movement following such surgery. Most hand operations can be completed with a regional or local anesthetic, so the patient remains awake during the procedure, though a general anesthetic may also be used. Depending on the specific procedure, hand surgery can take two or more hours to perform, with most patients allowed to return home on the same day.