Hand surgery

MediClinic hand surgery team is committed to provide surgical treatments that can be performed on an outpatient basis, ensuring maximum safety for the patient and at the same time aiming for the best possible surgical and therapeutic result. The team has performed more than 25,000 operations in this field and is in constant contact with scientific companies: thus ensuring the application of the safest and most effective methods available.

The patient has access to the facility through two main channels: referred by the family doctor or the specialist in Orthopedics. Once at MediClinic, the patient has the opportunity to take advantage of a specialist visit in Hand Surgery and can count on the support of a multidisciplinary staff. It is thus possible to facilitate both the diagnostic process and all the phases of therapy starting from the advice provided by the Electromyographist, up to the Physiotherapy service dedicated to hand rehabilitation.

Targets

The hand surgery service is structured to accommodate and treat all patients suffering from hand conditions. The Orthopedic specialist provides a diagnosis and performs surgically on those cases that do not require prolonged hospitalization. Following are some of the conditions that can be surgically treated on an outpatient basis:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Peripheral nerve compression
• Tendon injuries
• Tendinitis
• De Quervain’s disease
• Neoformations
• Dupuytren’s disease

Surgery

Before the surgery, a consult is performed and diagnostic and instrumental tests are performed to study the condition; the surgical procedure is then illustrated to the patient. An interview with the anesthesiologist follows to explain the type of anesthesia that will be used. The anesthesiologist combines the needs of the surgeon with those of the patient and on the basis of these parameters he or she decides whether to perform a local or loco-regional anesthesia in the axillary plexus combined with sedation. Finally, the patient’s informed consent is collected before surgery: with this procedure, the doctor verifies that the patient is well aware of the nature, risks and expected results of the procedure.

Surgery takes place on an outpatient basis and is scheduled based on the patient and operating room availability. The surgeon chooses the surgical technique that he or she considers most safe and effective for the patient. For carpal tunnel, for example, instead of endoscopy, a more reliable minimally invasive technique is preferred which allows the specialist to highlight any abnormalities of the median nerve and of the external tissue.

During the days immediately after surgery, a dressing change is performed by qualified personnel or by the surgeon. The stitches removal, when necessary, generally takes place after 12 days and is performed by the specialist or the nursing staff. For some procedures, the operating surgeon performs a check-up approximately 20 days after surgery to determine when the patient can resume normal work.

Post-operative course

During the first 10 days after surgery, the patient can carry out normal daily activities (driving the car, doing small housework) with the obligation not to wet the surgical wound. After removing the stitches, the patient can start using the hand regularly. Generally it is possible to perform heavy working activity about 30 days after surgery.

Hand Physical Therapy Service

The specific Physical Therapy service is available at the facility if a rehabilitation program is required in the post-operative period. Physical Therapy can be associated with the use of a customized brace according to the specific condition. The brace, designed by the surgeon and built in collaboration with specialized technicians, is made according to the patient’s needs and is delivered and applied at the facility. Except for special cases, the hand rehabilitation treatment consists of 10 sessions, which can be brought closer or spread over time, according to the patient’s needs.

Why choose MediClinic?

Hand surgery has now become a specialized branch of the traditional orthopedic surgery. This is why specific skills are needed that are guaranteed thanks to the preparation of the medical staff, which has performed 25,000 operations in this field. Each surgical procedure is performed in maximum safety for the patient, using methods that are as quick and painless as possible. In the post-operative course, effective analgesics are provided, specially designed to control pain in the upper limbs.

Transparency of information and continuous support are two other fundamental characteristics of the MediClinic hand surgery team: when the patient is discharged, the references of the operating surgeon will be provided, who is available to the patient and the attending physician to provide any clarification on the post-intervention phase.