What Results Can I Expect?

Our goal as hand surgeons is to take a hand that has been injured by trauma or disease and restore that hand to is maximal functional potential. It is specialized training, skill and experience that allows us to do everything necessary to achieve this goal. If such steps are taken, we can restore the hand to as close as perfect as possible. It is very important for the patient to understand that it simply may not be possible to achieve a perfect result and have a hand that appears and functions as though there was never a problem. We do not have the power to turn back the hands of time as if the injury never happened, but we do have the skills to provide you with the best hand surgical care available anywhere. Simply put, years of training, experience and thousands of hand surgical cases have taught us what to do and how to do it. Failure to seek out the appropriate specialist to perform the operation or failure to follow postoperative instructions, in effect, ensures the hand will not function as well as if the appropriate treatment is received and instructions are followed. Most hand operations require the patient to take an active role, following surgery, in the rehabilitation of the hand. If the patient does not understand this and does not understand the concept of a realistic expectation, then frustration and dissatisfaction is inevitable. This is not to say that the patient should not have high expectations. In fact, an ideal patient has a good understanding of the severity of the problem, high expectations and a high degree of motivation. These patients receive the best postoperative result and are appreciative of the surgeon and, indeed, the surgeon is appreciative of such patients.