Emergency Services

The Hand Surgery Unit offers comprehensive emergency care services to patients at the Vellore Town Campus and the Ranipet Campus 24/7.

Outpatient Clinics

The Hand Surgery unit conducts outpatient clinics in the OPD main building (B-40) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (Review clinic), and Saturday. The Hand Surgery unit also operates outpatient clinics at the Ranipet Campus (A301) from Monday to Saturday.

Outpatient Clinic Schedule

Main/Town Campus (OPD Block Basement – B40)

Ranipet Campus (Surgical Referral OPD – A301)

Inpatient Care and Daycare Services

Patients scheduled for surgical procedures may be admitted to either general wards (with or without air conditioning) or private wards, depending on their preference and availability. Typically, patients undergoing routine hand surgery are admitted for three to five days, during which the attending surgeons closely monitor them. 

Additionally, day-care surgeries are performed concurrently for conditions suitable for such care.

Operation Theatre

Elective hand and peripheral nerve surgeries are conducted in the main theatre complex four days per week, utilizing seven or eight available operating tables.  All surgeries are performed under binocular loupe magnification, with operating microscopes used for all microsurgeries.

Emergency operations for hand injuries are performed regularly at the dedicated Trauma/Emergency operation theatres at the Ranipet and Town campuses.

SURGERIES FOR THE FOLLOWING ARE DONE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HAND SURGERY

1. Congenital deformity correction
   • Constriction band syndrome
   • Trigger finger
   • Radial club hand
   • Syndactyly
   • Cleft hand
   • Thumb hypoplasia
   • Free Toe transfer
   • Pollicization
   • Other congenital differences of the hand
2. Compression neuropathies
   • Carpal tunnel syndrome
   • Cubital tunnel syndrome
   • Radial tunnel syndrome
   • Meralgia paresthetica
   • Tarsal tunnel syndrome
3. Deformity correction of the hand and fingers
   • Volkmann’s Ischemic Contracture (VIC) of the forearm
   • Cerebral Palsy of the upper limb
   • Arthritis of the joints of the hand and wrist
   • Poliomyelitis paralysis
4. Fracture of the bones of the hand and wrist
   • Carpal, metacarpal, and phalangeal fractures, nonunion of fractures, malunion of fractures, and their sequelae
   • Complex wrist fractures, dislocations, and their sequelae
5. Hand and forearm tumor management
   • Soft tissue tumors
   • Peripheral nerve and Brachial Plexus tumors
   • Bony tumors
6. Microsurgery
   • Re-implantation of the digits
   • Free tissue transfer – reconstruction of bony, muscle, or skin defects following traumatic loss, removal following cancer, or absence at birth
7. Peripheral Nerve Injuries:
   • Adult/Pediatric Brachial Plexus Injuries
   • Birth-related Brachial Plexus Injuries
   • Nerve injury of the upper or lower limb nerves (Median, Ulnar and Radial Nerves, Sciatic, Common Peroneal and Tibial nerves)
8. Management of hand infection and its sequelae
9. Management of hand burns and their sequelae
   • Contracture of the wrist and hand
10. Surgery of the Hand in Tetraplegia, Stroke, and Cerebral Palsy
11. Soft tissue cover – pedicled and Free flaps and grafts
12. Triangular fibrocartilaginous complex (TFCC) injuries and DRUJ instability
13. Tendon injury
    • Primary repair and secondary reconstruction of flexor and extensor tendons
14. Wrist arthroscopy

HAND THERAPY AND ASSESSMENT

All patients undergoing hand surgery need both postoperative and, in some cases, preoperative supervised rehabilitation. 

Outpatients requiring hand therapy are advised to seek follow-up care at the Hand Therapy Center (HLPT) in the basement of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation building (Room 660). Patients from the general ward requiring hand therapy during their hospital stay may utilize the Ward Hand Therapy Center adjacent to the S-extension ward. Additionally, a dedicated Hand Assessment Section evaluates preoperative and postoperative hand and nerve function using specialized assessment charts, Weinstein filaments, and other tools. These assessments establish the baseline for further surgical and reconstructive planning.

ELECTRO-MYOGRAPHY 

Routine EMG & NCS studies are done at the Neurology EMG centers in the Ranipet or Town campuses. Most patients with nerve disorders and injuries requiring surgery will require a preoperative assessment at one of these centers. Some of these patients would also require post-operative EMG testing to document recovery.

Selective preoperative and postoperative EMG studies are performed at the HLRS EMG lab adjacent to the S Extension ward at the surgeon’s discretion. 

Training of MBBS students, Post-doctoral Fellows/MCH trainees in Hand Surgery, Orthopedic Postgraduates, Plastic Surgery postgraduates, PMR postgraduates, and Hand physiotherapy technical personnel is a vital aspect of the unit’s responsibility.

The clinical training programs run at the department are

• MCH Hand Surgery (Superspeciality program in hand surgery)
• Diploma in Hand & Leprosy Physiotherapy Technology (Undergraduate program in hand physiotherapy)