No. The majority of hand problems are treated with non-operative means, although complex difficulties actually necessitate surgical intervention.

Hand surgery is a general term that encompasses a wide array of different types of surgery on the hand. Aside from attempting to restore the function of the hand, surgeons who perform hand surgery also try to improve the cosmetic appearance of the hand. Hand surgery will alleviate problematic conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Dupuytren’s contracture and congenital defects. The specific procedure suitable for you depends on your condition.

The healing process makes hand surgery different from most other types of surgery. For example, in appendicitis the disease is cured once the diseased organ is removed; in hand surgery the structures within the hand are returned to anatomic position. However, for tendons to glide once again, nerves to transmit impulses, and joints to rotate, these structures must heal first and this, by definition, involves the formation of scar tissue.

No. There are several variables, which affect a person's ability to completely pass a kidney stone. Some stones can pass spontaneously without medical or surgical intervention. The size and the location of the stone are factors that may effect whether a stone will pass spontaneously. Stones that are smaller than 4 mm have a 40-fold greater chance of passing spontaneously than for stones larger than 6 mm, regardless of the location of the stone.

No. Many degenerative or attritional tears can be managed non-operatively and allow you to return to your "normal" lifestyle.

No. Many ACL tears can be treated non-operatively. Many factors go into the decision making process. Some patients have ACL tears and no instability symptoms. Others are profoundly symptomatic, even with simple stair climbing, turning and twisting. We do not know why some people are more symptomatic than others, which is why surgery is not the right answer for everybody.

No (Chhabra, et. al. page 217). Depending on the degree of injury, the structure injured, and the patients probable future activity level surgery may or may not be beneficial. For instance there are many people, even competitive athletes, that return to their normal pre-injury activity level with a complete ACL tear and no reconstructive surgery.

Because of your cataracts, you may not clearly see steps, toys or similar objects on the floor. You are much more likely to misstep, fall and suffer serious injuries from the fall, including hip fracture. Excessive delay of surgery causes the cataract to harden. Fragmenting the hard cataract with ultrasound may be difficult, increasing the chance of complications. Sometimes the incision has to be enlarged and the benefits of the modern "Small incision - No stitch" surgery are lost.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery combines elements of "open" and laparoscopic surgeries. Small incisions are made and laparoscopic instruments are used; however, one of the surgeon's hands is inserted into a port through a specially designed sleeve. One hand operates the instruments, while the other may be used for tactile exploration or other functions during the operation. Generally, the answer is no. The surgeries are virtually identical.

Usually not. Most women that require surgery can have fibroids removed with preservation of the uterus, tubes, and ovaries. If fertility is the major issue the uterus is not removed.

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogrens Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Auto Immune Disease, Herpes Simplex Virus infection of the eyes, Herpes Zoster Virus infection of the eyes, glaucoma, retinal detachment surgery, cataract surgery or other eye surgery.

A - Your doctor will be able to tell you what the risk is for you. Some people may experience problems with some aspects of memory after surgery, but this is usually only noticed with sophisticated memory testing. Most patients feel better and not as lethargic, as their level of medication may not be as high.

Surgery is recommended when a patient's pain doesn't respond to conservative treatment or if they have neurological deficits. Surgery is considered when nonsurgical therapy fails to adequately control the symptoms of pain, weakness or nerve dysfunction. The need for emergent spinal surgery exists but is infrequent. Emergency surgery may be indicated if there are progressive or severe neurologic deficits or bowel or bladder difficulties.

There are a number of non-surgical treatment methods like therapy, medicine, splinting, casting, gentle stretching and observation.

If prostatectomy was for prostate cancer and all the cancer cells were located within the prostate gland, then your cancer is cured. However, because it sometimes is difficult to tell if cancer has spread, some men may need treatment for a recurrence of cancer. If prostatectomy was a treatment for prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia), about 10 percent of men will require additional surgery because of complications arising from the prostatectomy.

In PRK, because the laser removes tissue from the surface of the eye, the body will attempt to fill in the defect much like if you had a cut on your hand. Since corneal tissue has different healing properties, the process can normally be regulated with the use of topical steroid drops which patients may be required to use over a one-month period. In LASIK, these drops are only used for a week. These drops will rarely cause any problems.

Complications resulting from rhinoplasty can be either aesthetic, meaning related to appearance, or functional, meaning related to breathing. Some patients may have problems with both. Some problems result from underresection, when not enough is taken off, while others result from overresection, when too much is taken off. Other problems include asymmetry and abnormal scarring. Problems with overresection typically require some sort of grafting material.

No. Most patients can be effectively treated with physical therapy and other non-operative modalities; other patients may require surgery.

Yes, patients undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery will need to start taking vitamins immediately after surgery and continue thereafter, throughout their lifetime.

Dr. Courcoulas never asked that I lose any weight before surgery, but when my PCP's scales at his office added 20 lbs to my frame over the course of 5 months, I started taking Slim Fast. Mind you, I did it in a different way than what they recommend. I tried to take it for breakfast, and lunch, and then have a good dinner, but I was hungry all day until dinner time. What I did instead was to have a HUGE breakfast, then a shake for lunch, and a shake for dinner.

Arterial blood gases are not routinely - in fact are seldom - performed before weight loss surgery. In patients in whom very poor respiratory function might compromise the safety of the operation, preoperative blood gases might be considered.

There is only one way to cure a hernia: surgery. A hernia will not go away on its own. The good news is that today, surgical hernia repairs are typically quick, easy, and even fairly comfortable. However, your surgeon may not always recommend it, depending on your medical history.

If you have no medical problems and the amount of fat is not excessive, you will probably be able to go home the same day as your surgery. However, after liposuction surgery it is prudent to wait a few weeks before resuming strenuous activity, but quiet activity can usually be resumed within a few days. If your work is sedentary, a few days off should suffice, and in smaller cases, you can return to work the next day.

YES. Anyone who has difficulty gripping, whether from age, arthritis, injury, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. will get better, safer, workouts using NewGrip. It reduces the amount of force needed to hold an object. Let Grips absorb the pain - not you. If either the wrist straps or hand pads do not properly fit we will exchange them free of charge by sending you a pre-paid return envelope.

Since washing hands frequently with soap and water is inconvenient, time-consuming, and often causes skin irritation and dryness experts have suggested that hospitals, extended care facilities, and home health agencies develop new strategies for improving hand hygiene among healthcare workers. We need to make it easier for you to clean your hands quickly, with a minimum of effort and skin irritation.

The best candidates are those who are under a great deal of distress caused by hand injuries. Hand surgery covers a wide range of procedures that are used to repair:

Given the fact that the hand is a very sensitive part of the body, patients may experience mild to severe pain subsequent to the surgery. Depending on the type and extent of surgery and on how fast the healing takes place, the hand should be remained immobilized and normal activities are put on hold. The surgeon may propose a course of rehabilitation (physical and occupational therapy) to improve your recovery with the direction of a trained hand therapist.