Our professional doctors at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital have trained intensively to learn all the new types of surgeries and, using only the best techniques, they will try to ensure that you are safely on the path to normal healing.
Due to congenital defects, serious injuries, or even some diseases, people may find that they cannot use their hands properly. Some of these cases can be solved with medication, but sometimes, surgery is required in order to regain normal functions of the hand.
Our hands are appendages that have a vast array of uses, which are indispensable. Because of them, we are able to grab stuff, pick up things, push, pull, and even communicate through sign language. It is well known that they are a vital part of our lives. There are a certain number of factors, which can hinder our ability to properly use our hands. These can range from birth abnormalities, like polydactyly, to injuries, such as tendon or nerve damage, and even diseases, such as osteoarthritis. These can have a major negative impact on a patient’s physical abilities, so treatment is necessary.
In most cases, doctors will first try to solve the problems using medication. If this fails, though, surgery is the only option left. There is a big number of procedures, which can be done to help someone regain strength, feeling, and mobility in their hand.
Basically, hand reconstructive surgery is used to improve or regain the normal functions of the hand. Depending on the exact problem, there can be different surgical procedures done. Some of them, like the removal of skin tumors, are fairly straightforward and the doctor can operate on the patient normally.
In other cases, such as Dupuytren's contracture, surgeons will have to be very careful to not damage muscles and nerves as this will only further damage the hand and cause even more problems for the patient. The hand is a very sensitive part of the human body so, no matter what medical procedure is done to it, it must be performed by expert doctors in order to ensure maximum efficiency.
There are many benefits linked to this procedure:
- The patient will regain mobility in his hand
- The patient will not suffer from pain in the appendage anymore
- The patient will gain more strength in his hands
- The aesthetic of the hand will be improved
- Normal activities, which were previously inaccessible, may now be performed
- The patient’s level of comfort will greatly increase
- The patient’s mental health and self-esteem will greatly improve
The recovery time may vary a lot, depending on the surgical procedure done. With this said, there are rehabilitation steps, which must be taken in all of them. Because it is such a sensitive part of the body, almost all patients will need to take pain medication after their surgery. To speed up the healing process, the hand will have to remain immobilized for some time. In almost all recovery periods, the patient will need to do physical therapy in order to strengthen his muscles and increase his mobility.
As with all types of surgeries, there are some risk factors involved. The most common complication in all of these procedures is wound infection. The patient may also suffer from heavy bleeding following the surgery and blood clots may form. In case tendons or nerves were damaged, the patient may lose the feeling in his hand or even lose the ability to move it.