Hand Surgery Division

The Division of Hand Surgery focuses on exposure to soft tissue coverage and microsurgery, which is performed in conjunction with the Plastic Surgery service and rotating Hand Surgery fellows.

Our residents are exposed to hand surgery from two sources. The first is during rotation at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) since the orthopaedic service takes hand call every other day. Injuries range from single fingertip amputations to complex industrial trauma. The junior resident manages minor injuries within the emergency department under the guidance of a senior resident or an attending physician.

The second is more formal exposure that occurs during the PGY-3 year with a 10-week rotation with Hand Surgery Specialists, a private group comprising of six hand surgeons. A large volume of hand problems is encountered in the clinic and operating room.

The resident is on call every fourth night. The three weekly conferences entail case presentations, selected readings, and didactic lecture.

In addition, a weekly hand clinic at the UCMC generates cases for the hand fellow and resident. Numerous hand surgery presentations at the national and regional meetings have resulted. A microsurgical laboratory ensures hands-on training in the fundamentals of microvascular skills.