Hand Surgery in San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland, and Walnut Creek

Dr. Moulton-Barrett provides reconstructive hand surgery to patients in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reconstructive hand surgery can help reduce or eliminate chronic pain and improve function in the hand, wrist and fingers. Hand surgery may be used to treat hand trauma caused by injury or correct abnormalities that have been present since birth. Some conditions that can be treated with reconstructive hand surgery include:

Carpal tunnel syndrome

A condition caused by pressure to the median nerve within the wrist, or carpal tunnel. Hand surgery can reduce pain and tingling or restore normal feeling to previously numb fingers.

Rheumatoid arthritis

A disease characterized by severe inflammation in the joints. Hand surgery can reduce pain and restore function.

Dupuytren’s contracture

A disorder the causes thick bands of scar-like tissue to form in the palm and fingers, which can disfigure the hand and restrict use. Reconstructive hand surgery can help restore flexibility and function to the fingers.

Dr. Moulton-Barrett can talk with you about your specific symptoms and how reconstructive surgery may help.

What To Expect During Hand Surgery

Before hand surgery, you will be given anesthesia. You may be given general anesthesia or a strong sedative by IV. Your plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist help determine which option is best for your procedure.

The type of reconstruction that is performed will vary depending on your specific trauma or abnormality. Your procedure may include:

Tendon repair – involves pulling a tendon that has been cut back into place and reattaching it in order to restore movement.

Relieving carpal tunnel syndrome – pressure on the median nerve is relieved either through an incision in the middle of the palm or with smaller incisions on the wrist and palm.

Grafting – removing healthy tissue from one area of the body and adding it to another area of the body in order to treat a wound or trauma. This may be done with skin, nerves, tendons or bones during reconstructive hand surgery.

These are just some of the techniques a reconstructive plastic surgeon might use during hand surgery. You’ll learn more about your specific treatment plan during your consultation.

After your surgery is complete, you will likely notice significant swelling. You will begin to notice the results of the hand surgery as the swelling subsides over the next several weeks. However, you should be aware that it may take months to see the complete results of your reconstructive surgery.