When you book an initial consultation with a hand and wrist surgeon at Ross Hall Hospital, the enquiries team will provide you with all of the information about appointment times and which consultants are available depending on your specific needs and give you all the information you need to make that choice.
When you arrive for your appointment, your consultant will assess your condition by carrying out a physical examination of your hand and wrist, asking you to carry out simple movements to test your function and any pain you are feeling. They will also ask about your medical history to fully understand your condition, your concerns, and to determine the appropriate next steps.
Once they have made their assessment, they will usually refer you for a scan or test. Thanks to the comprehensive range of diagnostics facilities available at Ross Hall Hospital, we can quickly conduct further testing with ease.
Usually, you will be able to have an X-ray at the same appointment. More complex tests such as an MRI scan will likely be booked for a later date suitable to you, within a couple of weeks.
When your consultant receives the results from your tests, they will discuss the best course of treatment for you. It could be that you just need physiotherapy or a steroid injection, but if surgery is required, a suitable time and date will be arranged with your consultant.
These are common treatments for the frequent conditions we treat at Ross Hall Hospital:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome - Can be managed with non-surgical treatment such as splints, but very regularly ends up requiring a carpal tunnel decompression procedure.
Surgery involves opening the carpal tunnel to relieve pressure. It’s a fairly straightforward procedure, so once your nurse and consultant are confident that you have recovered from your local anaesthetic, you’ll be able to go home the very same day.
- Arthritis - Very often patients don’t require an operation, instead, medication and physical therapy are the best course of treatment. Physical therapists will provide exercise plans and we’ll often provide additional support with splints. Injection therapy or surgery for arthritis in the hand and wrist aims to remove pain and improve function. Timing is very important, and your consultant will assess the symptoms and use imaging to help plan appropriate intervention.
Some common procedures include:
- Steroid injections into fingers and thumbs, eg, for trigger finger
- Small joint replacements, for arthritis
- Joint fusions, for pain
- Trapeziectomy and stabilisation for thumb arthritis
- Tendon repairs, transfers, or releases, for tendonitis or tendon damage
Acute sports injury - Some acute injuries are safe to be treated conservatively by immobilisation in a cast or splint. However, some injuries require fixation (surgery). Ross Hall Hospital offers assessment and treatment for both these groups of injuries.