The first process of getting a hand surgery
is to see a medical professional in the field of the injury you have. If
surgery is required, the first procedure to happen before entering the
operating theatre is preparing and draping the patient. The second process of
getting a hand surgery is for the patient to have the affected area of the hand
shaved of hair and washed with antiseptic for multiple minutes, which is a very
standard procedure in medical science. The next process of getting a hand
surgery is then for an inflatable cuff (a tourniquet) is attached to the
patients forearm or upper arm to staunch blood flow to the arm. Then an
anaesthetic nurse will apply a regional nerve block to the patient, to make
sure they are not uncomfortable during the operation. Then, a surgeon or a
specialist surgeon will operate on the hand. This will be a different procedure
for almost every patient, for example bone reconstruction if the hand has been
crushed, re-linking tendons to the fingertips if they have been severed,
re-joining of nerves if they have been severed and the such. If a vein has been
severed, a venous graft may be appropriate (where a surgeon takes a vein from
another part of the body and moves it to the affected area), as well as such
things like skin grafts and skin flaps. Additionally, visualisation of delicate
structures of the body are essential for the surgeon, and so may use a
double-headed binocular microscope to see any small tendons, muscles, veins and
arteries. Once the surgeon is happy with the work, he will close the wound and
apply a dressing.
The final and arguably most important part
of the process of getting a hand surgery is aftercare. A patient will need
multiple appointments with a doctor to firstly work around the common problems
with such a delicate surgery and to make sure the wounds are healing well.
The above image was taken from www.therelationshipscafe.com. I do not own the image, nor do I claim any rights over it.
