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What Is Hand Surgery?
Hand surgery is the sub-specialty devoted to care of all hand and wrist problems, whether they are traumatic in origin or not. This very highly specialized field started during World War II. It became obvious that having a highly trained and specialized surgeon to handle all the problems of the hand and wrist was far superior to having different surgeons deal with different components of the hand and wrist. For example, an orthopedic surgeon would treat the broken bones, a plastic surgeon would treat the skin and soft tissue problems, and a vascular surgeon to treat the blood vessels, etc. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand was established in 1945. There are approximately 1,400 members of the Hand Society who are qualified and dedicated to the care and treatment of all hand and wrist problems. Our hand surgeons, Dr. Naam and Dr. Stewart, are fellowship trained in Hand Surgery, with special training in the techniques of orthopedic, plastic, neurological, microvascular and reconstructive surgery for all the soft tissues and the bony structures of the hand and wrist. Hand surgeons have to complete residency in orthopedic, plastic or general surgery, then they have to go through sophisticated specialty training in hand surgery for 1-2 years. There is a special board certification for hand surgery, with the requirement that the surgeon should be Board Certified in orthopedic, plastic or general surgery before he or she can sit for the Hand Surgery Board Examination. Dr. Naam is Board Certified in Surgery and Hand Surgery, and Dr. Stewart is
Board Certified in Surgery and Board Eligible in Hand Surgery.
When Do You Need a Hand Surgeon?
Medicine is becoming so complex that it is virtually impossible for any one doctor to master all of the different fields of medicine. That is why specialization is needed. If you have an eye problem, you see an eye doctor, a heart problem – a cardiologist, and if you have a hand problem, you see a hand surgeon. Since hand surgeons are specifically trained in all aspects of hand surgery, the best results are obtained when patients are seen from the beginning by a hand surgeon, rather than being seen after complications arise. The hand is a very sophisticated organ, and when injured or diseased, is very unforgiving. A seemingly minor problem if not treated appropriately can have disastrous consequences. Therefore it is wise to see a hand specialist when a patient develops any hand problems.
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