Hand Surgery
Restoring Function, Sensation, and Quality of Life
Our hands are among the most complex and vital parts of the human body — they allow us to work, express, communicate, and care for ourselves. A single injury can disrupt our ability to perform everyday tasks. Plastic surgeons play a crucial role in saving, repairing, and restoring hand function after injury or disease.
At our centre, we specialize in comprehensive hand surgery and microsurgical reconstruction, combining precision, experience, and modern technology to help patients regain movement, strength, and sensation.
Understanding Hand Injuries
Hand injuries are extremely common — they can happen at home, at work, or on the road. Even small-looking cuts or crush injuries can damage critical structures like tendons, nerves, arteries, or bones, leading to long-term disability if not treated properly.
Common hand conditions treated by plastic surgeons include:
Cut or crushed fingers
Tendon injuries
Nerve injuries causing numbness or weakness
Fractures and dislocations
Amputated fingers or hands
Burns or electrical injuries
Infections and contractures
Congenital hand deformities
Plastic surgeons are trained in the fine anatomy of the hand and use microsurgical techniques to restore each injured component with meticulous precision.
Why the Hand Is Special
The human hand is made up of 27 bones, multiple joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels, all tightly packed in a small area. Every structure works in coordination — even a minor injury can upset this delicate balance.
For example:
- A flexor tendon injury can prevent finger bending.
- A nerve injury can cause loss of sensation or fine control.
- A vessel injury can lead to loss of blood supply and gangrene.
Timely, expert care by a plastic and hand surgeon ensures these vital structures are repaired properly, minimizing long-term disability.
Types of Hand Surgery and Reconstruction
1. Primary Repair of Hand Injuries
Fresh injuries are ideally treated as soon as possible. Plastic surgeons repair cut tendons, nerves, arteries, and muscles under magnification to restore hand movement and sensation.
2. Fracture Fixation and Soft Tissue Cover
Complex crush injuries often involve both bone and skin loss. Our team provides fracture fixation (using wires or mini-plates) and soft-tissue reconstruction with local or free flaps to preserve hand function and appearance.
3. Replantation and Revascularisation
If a finger, hand, or arm is amputated due to trauma, microsurgical replantation can often restore it. The success depends on how quickly the part is preserved and brought to the hospital.
Replantation involves reconnecting arteries, veins, tendons, nerves, and bones under a microscope — a procedure demanding high precision and experience.
4. Brachial Plexus Injuries
These are severe nerve injuries that occur when the nerves supplying the arm are stretched or torn, often in road traffic accidents. Our team performs nerve repairs, nerve grafts, and nerve transfers to restore function in the shoulder, elbow, and hand. Early evaluation is critical — the best results occur when surgery is done within the first few months.
5. Secondary Reconstruction
Old injuries often lead to stiffness, contractures, or deformities. Plastic surgeons perform tendon transfers, contracture release, joint stabilization, and flap surgeries to improve hand function and appearance.
6. Congenital Hand Surgery
In children born with webbed fingers, extra digits, or missing structures, early reconstructive surgery helps achieve normal growth, appearance, and hand use.
Rehabilitation — The Key to Recovery
Surgery is only one part of hand reconstruction. Postoperative rehabilitation through physiotherapy and occupational therapy is equally vital. Our rehabilitation team works closely with patients to:
- Maintain joint mobility
- Strengthen muscles
- Retrain fine motor skills
- Adapt to daily activities and work demands
This coordinated approach ensures patients regain maximum possible function and return to their routines safely and confidently.
Why Consult a Plastic Surgeon for Hand Injuries
Plastic surgeons are uniquely trained to handle both functional and aesthetic restoration. Our expertise includes:
- Microsurgical repair of tendons, nerves, and vessels
- Composite tissue reconstruction after crush injuries
- Skin and soft-tissue coverage for exposed structures
- Limb salvage through revascularisation or replantation
- Comprehensive rehabilitation after surgery
Our Approach
At our hospital, we believe in a patient-centred, multidisciplinary approach:
- Emergency management to stabilize and preserve the hand
- Early surgical repair by an experienced microsurgical team
- Detailed rehabilitation plan tailored to occupation and needs
- Long-term follow-up for scar care, stiffness prevention, and hand therapy
Every effort is made to restore not just the anatomy of the hand, but its dexterity, strength, and confidence — allowing our patients to return to their personal and professional lives.
FAQs on Hand Surgery and Reconstruction
1. what should I do if my finger or hand gets cut off?
Wrap the amputated part in clean gauze, place it in a plastic bag, and keep that bag in ice water — do not put it directly on ice. Bring it to the hospital immediately. Early surgery offers the best chance of replantation.
2. putated fingers be reattached?
Not always, but many can be. Success depends on the level of injury, the condition of the part, and how quickly it reaches the hospital.
3. How long does it take to recover after tendon or nerve repair?
Usually, 6–12 weeks are required for basic healing, followed by physiotherapy to regain strength and movement
4. Is hand surgery painful?
Modern anaesthesia and pain control techniques ensure minimal discomfort during and after surgery. Early movement and therapy help reduce stiffness.
5. Will my hand look normal after reconstruction?
While scars may remain, our goal is always to achieve the best functional and cosmetic outcome, so the hand looks and works as normally as possible.
6. What happens in brachial plexus surgery?
We reconnect or reroute nerves using microsurgical techniques to restore movement in the shoulder, elbow, and hand. Early surgery gives the best results.
7. Why is physiotherapy so important after hand surgery?
It prevents stiffness, strengthens muscles, and helps you relearn fine hand movements — which is essential for complete recovery.