Hand Surgery
Hand surgery is a broad term that covers several different types of procedures. Plastic surgeons who perform hand surgery tend to revive hand and finger functions. Following are the conditions of hand which Plastic surgeons are treating:
Hand Injuries
- Rheumatic diseases, such as for example osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, that change and damage the structures in the hand
- Degenerative changes to the structures in the hand
- Problems or defects which are present at birth or congenital
What're the different types of hand surgery?
Many different types of surgeries can be executed on the hand. It depends on the underlying reason behind the problem. These procedures include:
Skin grafts include replacing or attaching skin to a part of the hand that’s missing skin. This surgery is frequently prepared for fingertip amputations or injuries. Skin grafts are performed by getting a piece of partial or complete thickness skin from another body area, called the donor site, and applying it to the defect area.
Like a skin graft, a skin flap requires getting skin from yet another part of the body. But this procedure uses skin with its unique blood supply. That’s as the section of skin that is used includes the underlying blood vessels, fat, and muscles. Flaps may be used when a missing skin place does not have a great blood supply. This can be due to the location, damage to the vessels, or extensive tissue damage.
This can be used if you have a bone fracture, or damaged bone, in part of the hand, including the fingers. This kind of surgery realigns the broken bone and then holds it in place or immobilizes it while it heals. Immobilization can be done with internal fixtures, such as wires, rods, splints, and casts.
Tendons are the fibers that join muscle to bone. Tendon repair is an arduous surgery due to the structure of the tendon. Tendon injuries may occur due to infection, trauma, or quick rupture.
An injury may damage the nerves in the hand. This will cause a loss of hand function and a loss of sensation in the hand. Some nerve injuries may possibly be treated on their own. The others may possibly need surgery. Typically, surgery is completed about 3 to 6 days following the injury. This is the best time for nerve repairs that are related to different, more complicated injuries.
In cases when nerve damage isn’t associated with more complicated injuries, surgery to test the ruined nerve is usually performed immediately after the injury. This raises the possibility of a complete recovery. If the nerve is cut or severed, it might be fixed by reattaching it to the other conclusion of the nerve. Or perhaps a nerve graft might be done. This calls for replacing the ruined nerve with nerves taken from different body regions.
This procedure is completed to simply help treat compartment syndrome. This painful condition occurs if you have swelling and increased pressure in a small space or compartment in the body. Frequently this really is caused by an injury. This pressure may restrict blood flow to your body tissues and ruin function. In the hand, compartment syndrome could cause severe and increasing pain and muscle weakness.
For a fasciotomy, your doctor could make a cut or incision in your hand or arm. This diminishes the pressure, lets the muscle tissue swell, and restores blood flow. Any tissue inside the region that is previously ruined might be eliminated only at that time. This procedure helps in avoiding any more damage and decrease in function of the influenced hand.
Hand infections are very common. Treatment for hand infections may include rest, heat, elevation, antibiotics, and surgery. When there is a sore or abscess in the hand, surgical drainage may help remove any pus. If the infection or wound is severe, debridement may be used to clean dead and contaminated tissue from the wound completely. This prevents more infection and helps promote healing.
This kind of surgery, also known as arthroplasty, is found in cases of severe hand arthritis. It requires replacing a joint that’s been destroyed by arthritis having a synthetic joint. This artificial joint might be manufactured from metal, plastic, silicone rubber, or your own body tissue, such as a tendon.
This kind of surgery reattaches a body part, such as a finger, hand, or toe, which includes being entirely cut or severed from the body. The target is to revive just as much function as possible. Replantation uses microsurgery. This complex type of surgery can use tiny tools and is completed below magnification employing a microscope. In some severe cases, more than one surgery might be needed.