Hand Surgeon - Chevy Chase, MD

What is Hand Surgery?

Our hands are not only incredibly useful and important for our daily functioning, but they are complex and delicate parts of our body. It can take a specialist to keep the hands functioning at their best. Hand surgeons are general, plastic, or orthopedic surgeons who have received additional training specifically in the care of hands, wrists and forearms.

Surgery is not the only care that a hand surgeon provides. Hand surgeons might prescribe medications, physical therapy, or splints and braces as well as surgery, depending on the condition. They care for a wide variety of issues affecting the hand or forearm, which may include:

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Arthritis
Fingers that cannot be straightened, such as with Dupuytren's contracture
Deformities of the fingers, such as syndactyly (webbed or fused fingers) or polydactyly (extra fingers)
Wrist or hand pain
Serious injuries of the hand or wrist, including burns and sports injuries
Reattachment of severed fingers or creation of prosthetics

We use our hands to interact with the world in a number of ways. In order to do so, we need our hands to maintain a high level of both movement and sensitivity, and that requires all of its bones, muscles, and nerves to be working properly. Hand surgeons keep this delicate and important equipment functioning.