A skilled hand surgeon can help you perform your daily activities with ease.
To schedule an appointment with the best hand surgeon in Orange County, contact our office today. We can help you get your first consultation in place and also answer any questions that you have about our orthopedic center and treatments.
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Common Orthopedic Hand Problems
There are many common orthopedic hand problems that would necessitate a visit to the best hand surgeon in Orange County. One common reason why people visit our Orange County hand surgeon is for carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which there is too much pressure on the median nerve in your wrist at the point of the carpal tunnel ligament. This causes you to experience a sensation of pins and needles or numbness in your fingers.
Another reason why people visit a hand surgeon is for Dupuytren’s contracture. In this condition, nodules form on the palm of your hand or your fingers. These excess amounts of tissue may cause your fingers to curl in toward the palm of your hand, making it difficult for you to do everyday tasks or to open your hands. Trigger finger is another common condition. With this disorder, one of your fingers gets stuck in a curled position because the tendon is too thick. While you might be able to straighten your finger with your other hand, the problem will repeat itself without intervention from a hand surgeon. If you have damaged tendons in your hand, fingers or wrists, a hand surgeon can repair them before they become ruptured.
What an Orthopedic Hand Surgeon Can Do for You
The best hand surgeon in Orange County treats all common orthopedic hand disorders. Your hand surgeon will perform a thorough exam, checking both of your hands. You will be asked questions about your symptoms and any related medical conditions you have. The doctor will ask you to perform a few hand exercises to see what the severity of your dysfunction is. Most hand surgeons will order tests such as x-rays, MRI studies or CT scans to get images of the internal structures of your hand. The doctor can start with conservative treatments or do surgery to help relieve your pain and discomfort.
Types of Hand Surgery Performed By Your Orthopedic Hand Surgeon
In a carpal tunnel release, the hand surgeon eases the pressure within your wrist by splitting the carpal tunnel ligament while you are under local anesthetic. Within two to six weeks, your hand should be free of the pins and needles sensation. In a Dupuytren’s contracture release, your hand doctor performs a fasciectomy, which is removal of the excess tissue and release of the ligaments that have caused your fingers to curl inward. To correct trigger finger, your hand surgeon may perform a minor surgery to open the tunnel where the tendon is getting stuck or remove some of the excess tissue that has built up within the tendon.
Tendon repairs are another common hand surgery that your hand specialist can perform. Torn or ruptured tendons can be a result of rheumatoid or auto-immune arthritis. The earlier you get surgery on the affected tendons, the lower your risk is of a complete tendon rupture.
Determining If Hand Surgery Is Right for You
As a full participant in your treatment plan, you and your hand surgeon will decide upon the best course of care. In the cases of a torn or ruptured tendon, carpal tunnel and contracture, surgery is usually the best option for restoring full functionality to your hand. The doctor will work with you to prepare you for surgery and to get you started with strengthening exercises that might help to prevent a recurrence. For most patients, hand surgery is able to provide relief from their pain and restoration of mobility and hand flexibility.
However, non-invasive treatment options are always considered first. If surgery truly is determined to be the best option, you can often undergo the procedure in our outpatient center with minimally invasive techniques performed by our surgical team in order to minimize complications. Your doctor will make sure to tell you what you can expect from your procedure.
Post-Operative Care Provided By Your Orthopedic Hand Surgeon
After your hand surgeon performs surgery on you, your healing may involve wearing a bulky bandage or wrap for up to two weeks. In some cases, you will need to return in the week afterward in order to have stitches removed or to have your doctor evaluate your progress. As soon as your anesthetic wears off, you can move your fingers and thumb. Doing so is important in order to help avoid the development of scar tissue within the ligaments of your wrist and hand.
During each of your follow-up visits, your hand surgeon will ask you about your pain and any other sensations that you are experiencing in your hand or wrists. The doctor will ask you to do some motions with your hand, wrist and arm, such as pointing a finger, doing a thumbs-up or stretching and closing your fingers.
Some patients need a night splint to wear after hand surgery. This device helps to keep the muscles, tendons and ligaments of your lower arm, wrist and hand stretched so that they do not contract and cause more pain. A few patients may need to wear splints all day long, such as in the case with trigger finger healing. In some cases, your hand surgeon may have you work with a therapist to help you to regain full strength, flexibility and range of motion in your hand. This is especially important if your work or hobbies involve a lot of hand work, such as keyboarding, sewing or knitting.
To schedule an appointment to see the best hand surgeon in Orange County, contact our office today. We are happy to answer any questions you might have about our treatments and services, and even about the symptoms that you are experiencing. We look forward to helping you be able to use your hands with no discomfort.
