What we do? | Bloomington

When a problem takes place in the hand, wrist, forearm or elbow, special care must be given to all the different types of tissues that make function of the upper extremity possible. Conditions may arise from trauma, athletic injury, advancing age, arthritis, or a developmental processes. Hand surgeons are specifically trained to give that care to bones, joints, muscles, tendons, nerves, skin, and even blood vessels. Hand surgeons may care for many of these problems without surgery, and they are specially trained to operate when necessary.

Orthopedic trained hand surgeons go through a 5 year general orthopedic training that focuses on all aspects of orthopedic care including spine surgery, shoulder/elbow surgery, trauma surgery, pediatric orthopedics, foot and ankle surgery, joint replacement, tumor surgery including hand surgery. Over the course of these 5 years, a resident is exposed and involved in taking care of thousands of surgical and non-surgical cases. All this rigorous training allows the trainee to take care of all aspects general orthopedic problems and may be start an independent practice if they desire. This is followed by additional one year fellowship training in surgery of the hand and the upper limb to allow the provider to take care of the most complex of hand and upper limb conditions.

To become a member of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS), a surgeon must pass a very rigorous exam that covers the 5 year span of orthopedic residency knowledge followed by an oral defense of surgical cases selected from over a 2 year period after commencing practice. To become a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), a hand surgeon must additionally complete a full year of additional training (fellowship) and must pass a rigorous certifying examination.