HAND
SURGERY
Conditions explained. Treatments demystified. Appointments when you're ready.
What patients ask
before their first visit
Real questions, answered plainly. No anatomy lectures — just what you need to know to decide your next step.
"Why do my fingers lock in the morning — and sometimes snap back painfully?"
This is trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis). The tendon that bends your finger runs through a narrow sheath, and when that sheath becomes inflamed, the tendon catches and snaps like a rope over a rough pulley. It is most common in the ring finger and thumb, and often worse after a night of rest when fluid pools in the tissue. A corticosteroid injection relieves it in about 70% of cases. When it recurs or the finger locks completely, a 15-minute outpatient procedure releases the sheath permanently.
"Will I actually need surgery for carpal tunnel, or are there other options first?"
Most people with carpal tunnel start without surgery and do well — at least for a while. Night splints keep the wrist neutral while you sleep, stopping the compression that causes the 3 a.m. numbness. A steroid injection into the carpal tunnel reduces swelling and buys months of relief. Nerve conduction studies measure exactly how compressed the median nerve is. Surgery becomes the right conversation when the numbness becomes constant, when you start dropping things, or when the muscle at the base of your thumb begins to waste. The procedure itself takes 20 minutes under local anesthesia; most people use their hand lightly the same day.
"My thumb has been swollen since I fell — it looks fine but I can't grip anything."
A fall onto an outstretched hand or a sideways force on the thumb often tears or stretches the ulnar collateral ligament — the tissue that holds your thumb stable when you grip. Skiers call it skier's thumb; it also happens gripping a steering wheel in a crash, catching a ball badly, or bracing against a fall. A partial tear often heals in a cast over six weeks. A complete tear (when the ligament folds over itself — a Stener lesion) will not heal on its own and needs surgical repair within a few weeks before scarring makes reconstruction harder. An X-ray rules out a fracture; a stress test or MRI confirms the ligament.
"My knuckles ache every morning and my grip has gotten weaker. Is this just arthritis?"
Very likely, yes — and knowing which kind matters. Osteoarthritis wears down cartilage over decades, most often at the base of the thumb (the CMC joint) and the small joints near the fingertips. Rheumatoid arthritis is different: it attacks the joint lining itself and can affect multiple joints simultaneously. Early treatment for rheumatoid disease slows the damage dramatically. For osteoarthritis, a combination of activity modification, splinting, and targeted injections manages most cases for years. When the joint is bone on bone and pain is limiting daily life, joint replacement or fusion restores function with high satisfaction rates.
"I have a firm lump in my palm that's pulling one finger toward my hand. What is this?"
This is Dupuytren's contracture — a thickening of the connective tissue in the palm that slowly draws the ring or little finger toward the palm. It is not cancer, not caused by overuse, and often runs in families (it's sometimes called Viking's disease for its northern European prevalence). When the finger can no longer lie flat on a table, treatment becomes appropriate. Options now include a needle technique (needle aponeurotomy) that breaks the cord in the office, an injectable enzyme (collagenase) that dissolves it, or surgical removal of the diseased tissue for more extensive cases.
"How long is recovery after hand surgery — can I still work?"
Recovery depends entirely on the procedure. Carpal tunnel release: most desk workers type within a week, full strength returns in four to six weeks. Trigger finger release: you're using the hand the same day. Fracture fixation: protected motion starts at two weeks, return to full use at eight to twelve weeks. Tendon repair: the most time-intensive — six weeks in a splint, three months to full strength. We build every recovery plan around your work, your dominant hand, and what "ready" means for your life specifically. In most cases, the other hand carries the load, and most people are surprised by how functional they remain.
Surgery is the last resort,
not the first offer
Most hand conditions respond to conservative care. When surgery is right, we'll tell you exactly why — and what to expect.
Before we consider the operating room
of patients report significant pain relief after hand surgery at six weeks
average procedure time for carpal tunnel release under local anesthesia
Every treatment plan is built around your life, not a protocol.
Which hand, what you do for work, how quickly you need to recover — these shape every recommendation. There is no standard answer, only the right answer for you.
What recovery
actually looks like
"I woke up with numb hands every single night for two years. I kept telling myself it would pass. After the consultation, I had surgery on a Thursday and typed at my desk the following Monday. I genuinely cannot explain the relief."
Margaret Holloway
Administrative director, 52
"My ring finger had been bent into my palm for three years. I assumed surgery would mean weeks in a cast. The needle procedure took forty minutes. That afternoon I was making dinner."
Dennis Fairchild
Retired carpenter, 67
"I fell skiing in January and my thumb never felt right. Seven months later I finally came in. The MRI showed a complete tear — the kind that doesn't heal on its own. Surgery was the right call. I'm back on the slopes."
Priya Nambiar
Software engineer, 38
"The base of my thumb ached every time I opened a jar. I'd been managing it for years with ibuprofen. The injection gave me eight months of complete relief. When I came back, we talked about timing for the joint procedure. No pressure — just a clear plan."
Robert Szymanski
Weekend woodworker, 61
"My middle finger would lock completely every morning. I'd have to straighten it with my other hand — this horrible snap. One injection and it's been nine months without a single episode."
Claudia Osei-Mensah
Pediatric nurse, 44
Book a Hand Consultation
Tell us what brought you here. We'll confirm your appointment by phone within one business day.
What to expect at your first visit
A 45-minute appointment — enough time to actually understand your situation
Physical exam of the hand, with X-rays if needed, interpreted on the spot
A clear explanation of what's happening and every reasonable option
No pressure to decide anything that day. The appointment is yours.
Or reach us directly
(555) 234-7890Mon – Fri, 8am – 5pm · Appointments available within 5 business days