Total Care of the Hand Patient

The Tampa Bay Hand Center provides total care of the hand patient including pre-operative evaluation, surgery, and post-operative care and rehabilitation. Our goal is to restore proper function to the hand and wrist.

PRE-OPERATIVE EVALUATION:
The Tampa Bay Hand Center utilizes advanced technology to accurately diagnose problems in the hand and wrist. Our sophisticated, state-of-the-art techniques allow detailed visualization of hand structures. CAT scans and MRIs enable us to clearly demonstrate the anatomy of the bones, ligaments, and tendons. Wrist arthrography and wrist arthroscopy are used to evaluate the inside of the wrist joint and diagnose ligament tears and other problems, often avoiding a major operation.

Nerve and muscle function can be evaluated by nerve conduction studies and electromyography. Doppler ultrasound and arteriography can evaluate the status of blood vessels.

SURGERY:
Hands can often be crippled by injury, disease or birth defects with devastating economic and psychological results. The Tampa Bay Hand Center uses refined microsurgical techniques to perform precise surgery on delicate hand structures, helping to eliminate or minimize loss of function.


POST-OPERATIVE CARE AND REHABILITATION:
Rehabilitation is vitally important after surgery or hand injury.  The hand surgeons and the Tampa Bay Hand Center's hand therapist work as a team to plan and implement a rehabilitation program.  The hand therapist, under the doctors' direct supervision, utilizes a variety of techniques to restore hand function.

Before returning to work, patients may require a Work Capacity Evaluation to accurately determine their level of function. Some patients may need referral to a Work Hardening program before they can be fully rehabilitated to work.