Trauma Hand Care Procedures
Conveniently located to serve Monterey
Dr. David Morwood regularly provides treatment of hand trauma for Monterey patients. Hand trauma comes in several categories, such as fractures, lacerations, burns, and amputations. Infections associated with a wound, bite, or cut are also common.
Hand trauma refers to any injury affecting the fingers, hands, or wrists. It can involve tendons, bones, ligaments, or nerves.
Hand injuries are usually acquired from accidents or a result of strain. Impact from recreational activities or sports are the two major causes of hand injury. You can also sustain trauma from work-related tasks or any form of activity that requires unusually great effort.
What Are the Symptoms of Hand Trauma?
The symptoms of hand trauma vary from case to case. Symptoms are determined by the nature of the accident, affected areas, the depth of injury, and severity. Common symptoms of hand trauma include deformity, pain, swelling, tenderness, decreased range of motion, redness, pallor, bleeding, numbness, and occasional skin discoloration.
How Is Hand Trauma Diagnosed?
Your hand trauma consultation involves discussing the cause of the trauma to determine the mechanism of injury. Some common mechanisms are lacerations, burns, physical pressure, direct trauma, and indirect trauma.
Dr. Morwood will also conduct physical examinations and imaging tests to accurately detect bone deformity, swelling, lacerations, abscess, vascularity, and presence of foreign materials.
How Is Hand Trauma Treated?
The most common procedures in hand surgery are those done to repair injured hands, including injuries to the tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and joints; fractured bones; and burns, cuts, and other injuries to the skin. Modern techniques have greatly improved the surgeon’s ability to restore function and appearance, even in severe injuries.Among the techniques now used by plastic surgeons:
- Grafting – the transfer of skin, bone, nerves, or other tissue from a healthy part of the body to repair the injured part;
- Flap surgery – moving the skin along with its underlying fat, blood vessels, and muscle from a healthy part of the body to the injured site;
- Replantation or transplantation – restoring accidentally amputated fingers or hands using microsurgery, an extremely precise and delicate surgery performed under magnification. Some injuries may require several operations over an extended period of time.
In many cases, surgery can restore a significant degree of feeling and function to injured hands. However, recovery may take months, and a period of hand therapy will most often be needed (see Recovery and rehabilitation at the link below.)
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. MORWOOD
Dr. Morwood is a board certified plastic surgeon who will provide a custom-designed approach to help you achieve your asethtic vision.
Please call (831) 646-8661 to set up a consultation.
