Hand and Wrist Surgery
Hand & Wrist Surgery · Johannesburg, South Africa
Your hands and wrists are involved in almost everything you do, from typing and cooking to gripping a steering wheel or holding a grandchild. When injury, deformity, or nerve compression affects your hand or wrist, everyday tasks can become painful or even impossible.
Comprehensive Hand and Wrist Surgical Care
Our practice offers a comprehensive range of hand and wrist surgical treatments, aimed at restoring function, relieving pain, and helping you get back to doing what matters most.
Below is an overview of the hand and wrist conditions we treat and the surgical options available.
Hand and Wrist Conditions We Treat
Fractures of the Wrist and Hand
Fractures of the wrist and hand are common, often resulting from falls, sports injuries, or accidents at work. The wrist and hand contain many small bones, so an accurate diagnosis is essential for proper healing. Some fractures heal well in a cast or splint, while others, particularly those involving joint surfaces or multiple bones, require surgical fixation with pins, screws, or plates. Prompt, precise treatment helps preserve grip strength, movement, and long-term hand function.
Tendon Laceration and Ruptures
Tendons allow your fingers and wrist to bend and straighten. A cut, crush injury, or sudden forceful movement can lacerate or rupture a tendon, leading to a sudden loss of movement in the affected finger or thumb. Tendon injuries need timely surgical repair, as delayed treatment can make the repair more difficult and affect the final outcome. After surgery, a structured hand therapy programme helps restore strength and flexibility.
Correction of Deformities of the Fingers, Fusions
Finger deformities can develop from arthritis, old injuries, or conditions affecting the joints and soft tissues. These deformities often cause pain, reduced grip strength, and difficulty with fine tasks such as buttoning a shirt or holding a pen. Surgical correction realigns the affected joints, and in cases of severe arthritis or instability, joint fusion may be used to eliminate painful movement and provide a stable, pain-free finger.
Osteotomies of the Bones of the Hand
An osteotomy involves cutting and repositioning a bone to correct its alignment. In the hand, this technique is used to address deformities resulting from old fractures that healed incorrectly, or from congenital or arthritic changes. By restoring proper bone alignment, an osteotomy improves hand function and reduces strain on surrounding joints and tendons.
Carpal Tunnel Release
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs through a narrow passage in the wrist, becomes compressed. This leads to numbness, tingling, and weakness in the thumb and fingers, often worse at night. When splinting, activity changes, or injections do not provide lasting relief, a carpal tunnel release procedure widens the space around the nerve, relieving pressure and allowing symptoms to improve.
De Quervain’s Release
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis causes pain and swelling along the thumb side of the wrist, often from repetitive gripping or twisting movements. It is common among new parents from repeatedly lifting a baby, as well as in people whose work involves repetitive hand motion. When rest, splinting, and anti-inflammatory treatment fail to resolve the pain, a release procedure frees the affected tendons, relieving pain and restoring smooth movement.
Trigger Finger Release
Trigger finger occurs when a tendon in the finger becomes irritated and catches as it moves through its sheath, causing the finger to lock or snap when bent or straightened. Mild cases often improve with splinting or a cortisone injection. Persistent or severe cases benefit from a small surgical release, which frees the tendon and restores smooth, pain-free finger movement.
Major Nerve Releases of the Forearm and Hand
Nerves travelling through the forearm and hand can become compressed at several points along their path, not only at the wrist. Conditions such as cubital tunnel syndrome, which affects the ulnar nerve at the elbow, can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand. Surgical release relieves pressure on the affected nerve, helping to prevent further nerve damage and allowing sensation and strength to recover.
Getting the Right Treatment for Your Hands
Hand and wrist conditions can have a significant impact on your independence and quality of life, even when the injury seems minor. The right treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis and a plan suited to your specific condition, occupation, and goals. Our approach combines detailed assessment with a full range of surgical and non-surgical options, so you get the most appropriate care for your hands.
Regain Full Use of Your Hands
If hand or wrist pain, numbness, or weakness is affecting your daily life, we are here to help you regain full use of your hands.