Tips on Assessing a Hand Surgeon in Your Neighborhood

Dec 13
08:14

2011

Antoinette Ayana

Antoinette Ayana

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Finding a good hand surgeon in your area is important to ensure your operation goes well. Three things to look for is accreditation, experience for the specific operation you want, and experience treating adults or children, depending on your situation.

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Do you need surgery on your hand? Would you even know if you did? Chances are,Tips on Assessing a Hand Surgeon in Your Neighborhood Articles unless you have previously consulted with a physician regarding an injury or disease of your hand and you were told that you need surgery, you may not be aware of any condition that you may have that requires a hand specialist. This is true whether you have issues with your hand, wrist, or forearm. However, it is important to not allow a troublesome and possibly disabling condition go undiagnosed and untreated. Here are three tips for finding a hand surgeon in order to aid individuals in their search for a hand specialist.

The first tip for finding a good hand surgeon in your area is to make sure he or she is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Commonly referred to as the ASSH, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand is a medical society for hand specialists that provides guidance for their practice and continuing education. As a result, it is critical that your hand specialist is member of this organization.

Another aspect is to consider if they offer surgical and nonsurgical treatments, depending on the nature of your diagnosis. A good and thorough hand specialist should be skilled enough to know varying forms of treatments and be knowledgeable of what options are available for your specific situation. Even if alternative treatments are not immediately offered in solution to your situation, it doesn't hurt to ask.

A third thing to ask is to make sure that they have experience treating adults or children, whichever is applicable to your situation. While some hand specialists treat only children, and some treat only adults, there are some that treat both. Be sure to inquire with a potential specialist to make sure that they are experienced with treating the affected age group as there are differences in treatment protocol.

Whether you have already been advised by a physician to consult with a hand specialist or not, living with a hand, wrist or forearm injury is can be particularly life altering. This is especially relevant for you if your hand, wrist, or forearm injury or disease has negatively impacted your lifestyle. However, you don't have to live with such pain or discomfort. By knowing what to look for in a hand specialist, you will be able to alleviate your problem with proper diagnosis and treatment much sooner.

In summary, three things for finding the right hand surgeon in close proximity for you include the following: making sure that they are members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), checking to see if they offer both surgical and nonsurgical treatments, and making sure that they have experience treating your age group.