Some patients do not know that hand surgery has originally been partly developed by plastic surgeons.
The reason why plastic surgeons have been involved in hand surgery is technical. When a hand trauma occurs, the underlying structures such as vessels, nerves, tendons, bones are very easily exposed. These structures do not withstand air exposition very well. It is then very important to cover the skin defects rapidly. During this covering process plastic surgery techniques such as skin grafts and flaps are used.
Bordeaux is a good example of the plastic surgeon’s involvement in hand surgery. Professor Baudet, worldwide renowned, has had numerous student who now practice this surgery around the world
The more common procedures in hand surgery are median nerve decompression, Dupuytren’s disease, trigger finger, De Quervain’s disease and rhizarthrosis.
Details of these operations are very well described on Doctor Cognet’s site: lesitedupoignet
These procedure are usually outpatient procedures.
