Receive Expert Hand Surgery in Southern California
Hand surgery can treat a wide range of problems affecting the hand, wrist, or forearm. From arthritis to carpal tunnel syndrome, hand surgeons can repair all kinds of hand problems with surgery to relieve chronic pain and restore movement.
If you would like to learn more your options for hand surgery in Southern California, meet with a skilled orthopedic doctor at a Dignity Health Southern California hospital. To find a hand surgeon who’s right for you, use our online search tool to Find a Doctor.
Reasons for Hand Surgery
Your doctor may suggest hand surgery if you have a chronic condition that causes pain, inflammation, or disability in your fingers or hands. Surgery also helps repair injuries from trauma, such as a fall, sports injury, or car accident.
In general, hand surgery is often used to treat a variety of common hand conditions and injuries, including:
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Nerve injuries
- Trigger finger
- Hand and wrist fractures and sprains
- Dupuytren’s contracture (gradual thickening and tightening of tissue under the skin in the hand)
- Ganglion cyst
- Dislocations of the hand, finger, or wrist
- Finger sprain (jammed finger)
- Hand, wrist, or finger tendon and/or nerve cuts
Types of Hand Surgery
Dignity Health Southern California performs the latest diagnostic and surgical procedures for hand surgery:
- Arthroscopy allows your doctor to look inside a joint and make repairs if needed.
- Nerve surgery is used to repair nerves or relieve compression, such as from carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Tendon surgery repairs or reroutes a tendon in the hand or wrist and improves movement.
- Replantation is surgery to reattach a finger or a hand after an amputation.
- Joint replacement is a procedure to replace a diseased finger, wrist joint, or knuckle.
- Skin grafts and flaps replace missing skin from the hand or wrist.
Talk with your doctor to see if you are a candidate for minimally invasive hand surgery.
What to Expect With Hand Surgery at Dignity Health Southern California
Your hand injury or condition can be treated effectively at a Dignity Health Southern California hospital. If you have minimally invasive surgery, you will be able to go home the same day of your procedure (in most cases). Some surgeries may require an overnight stay in the hospital. You will be given general or regional anesthesia so you will not feel any pain.
Recovery from Hand Surgery
After surgery, you may need to wear a hand splint for stability. Physical therapy will help you regain flexibility and range of motion. Along with at-home stretches and exercises, your doctor may recommend rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) while you are recovering.
Your doctor will give you instructions on how to care for your wound (if you have bandages, surgical dressings, stitches, or staples). A full recovery from hand surgery can take anywhere from several days to several months.
At Dignity Health Southern California, skilled hand surgeons offer open and minimally invasive procedures for treating pain and disability with hand surgery.