Ghatkopar (East), Mumbai)
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Hand Injuries
Your hands do everything they work, create, communicate, care for others. A hand injury doesn't just hurt; it takes away independence. Whether it's a cut tendon from a kitchen accident, a crush injury at work, a nerve laceration, or a replantable amputation, the right surgical team in the right time window can make the difference between a hand that works and one that doesn't. Shree Hospitals' plastic and reconstructive surgery team offers expert hand injury treatment in Mumbai, combining microsurgical precision with structured rehabilitation for the best possible functional outcome.
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Our Approach
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Our Approach In Managing Hand Injuries
Time matters. Technique matters. Rehabilitation matters equally.
Hand surgery is as much about restoration as it is about repair. Our hand surgery team evaluates every injury as a functional problem asking not just "what is damaged?" but "what does this patient need their hand to do?" and plans accordingly.
- Emergency Assessment & Stabilisation
Immediate triage of hand injuries follows a structured protocol:
- Neurovascular assessment capillary refill, sensation in all five digital nerve territories, radial and ulnar pulse
- Wound exploration under tourniquet for clean lacerations to identify tendon, nerve, and vessel injuries accurately
- Skeletal assessment ; X-ray of the hand and wrist to identify fractures, dislocations, and foreign bodies
- Decision on urgency immediate theatre for vascular compromise or replantation vs. planned elective repair
- Flexor Tendon Repair
Flexor tendon injuries are among the most technically demanding repairs in hand surgery:
- Flexor tendon repair using modified Kessler or four-strand Adelaide technique for maximum strength
- Zone II (the "no man's land") injuries require the highest technical precision adhesion and rupture risk is greatest here
- Early active mobilisation protocol commenced on day 2–3 post-repair with hand therapist supervision
- Pulley reconstruction where annular pulleys are damaged alongside the tendon
- Extensor Tendon Repair
Though often considered less complex than flexor repairs, extensor injuries require careful management:
- Primary repair of lacerations to the extensor system in all zones
- Mallet finger (distal extensor avulsion) managed with splintage for 6–8 weeks or surgical pinning
- Boutonnière deformity assessed and managed with splintage or surgical correction based on chronicity
- Post-repair protocol designed to prevent extensor lag while avoiding adhesion
- Nerve Repair & Reconstruction
Nerve injuries have a profound impact on sensation and intrinsic muscle function:
- Microsurgery hand reconstruction digital nerve and common digital nerve repair using epineural sutures under magnification
- Nerve grafting (sural nerve, medial cutaneous nerve of forearm) for gaps greater than 1cm
- Tendon transfer surgery for established motor nerve injuries (median, ulnar, or radial nerve palsy)
- Sensory re-education programme commenced from 3 months post-repair as reinnervation progresses
- Replantation — Reattachment of Amputated Parts
Replantation of amputated fingers, thumbs, or hands is a time-critical microsurgical emergency:
- Optimal window: 6 hours for warm ischaemia; up to 12 hours with proper cold preservation
- Amputated part should be wrapped in moist gauze, placed in a sealed bag, and kept on ice never directly on ice
- Replantation surgery Mumbai bone fixation, extensor and flexor tendon repair, arterial and venous anastomosis under microscope, nerve repair
- Thumb replantation is always attempted loss of the thumb is functionally equivalent to loss of 50% of hand function
- Fracture & Joint Management
Skeletal stability is a prerequisite for tendon and nerve healing:
- Hand surgery specialist in Mumbai India management of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures K-wire fixation, mini-plates, or lag screws based on fracture pattern
- Dislocation reduction under local or regional anaesthesia stabilised with internal fixation or splinting
- Intra-articular fractures assessed for need of open reduction to restore joint surface
- Early protected mobilisation commenced once fixation is stable prevents joint stiffness
- Hand Therapy & Functional Rehabilitation
Surgery without rehabilitation produces a fraction of the potential functional recovery:
- Certified hand therapist (CHT) involved from the day of surgery
- Custom thermoplastic splinting in the protected position appropriate to the injury
- Structured mobilisation programme passive, active-assisted, and active exercises phased with healing stages
- Sensory re-education, grip strengthening, pinch retraining, and functional task training
- Return-to-work planning with ergonomic assessment for manual workers
Happy Patients & Their Case Stories
"My thumb was amputated in an industrial press accident. The replantation team worked through the night — eight hours of surgery. My thumb lives, works, and has sensation. I owe them everything."
Mr. Ramesh. J
"I severed two flexor tendons in a kitchen accident. The repair at Shree Hospitals and the hand therapy programme that followed gave me 95% of my function back. I'm back to work as a chef."
Mr. Santosh . L
How To Identify Serious Hand Injuries?
Not all hand injuries require the same urgency. These signs demand immediate emergency evaluation:
Urgent : Go to Emergency Immediately:
- Amputation or near-amputation of any digit, thumb, or portion of the hand
- Pulseless or pale finger after injury arterial laceration or thrombosis
- Deep laceration over the palm or volar (underside) of the fingers likely tendon or nerve injury
- Open fracture bone visible through the wound
- Injection injury high-pressure paint gun, grease gun, or hydraulic fluid injection a surgical emergency despite small entry wound
Urgent : Same Day or Next Day Review:
- Inability to bend a finger at either joint despite an intact wound (tendon injury without laceration)
- Numbness or tingling in specific fingers following a cut or crush
- Loss of grip strength disproportionate to swelling
- A finger that is angulated, rotated, or shortened compared to its companion digits
Non-Urgent but Requiring Specialist Review:
- Mallet finger (drooping fingertip after hyperflexion injury)
- Trigger finger or snapping of a tendon without acute trauma
- Gradual numbness in a specific nerve territory suggesting nerve compression
Time is muscle and nerve for a replantable injury. For any suspected tendon and nerve repair surgery Mumbai emergency, attend the nearest emergency department immediately.
Important FAQs: Hand Injuries
What should I do if a finger or thumb is amputated?
Act immediately — replantation is time-critical. Wrap the amputated part in clean, moist gauze, place it in a sealed plastic bag, and keep the bag on ice (do not place the part directly on ice). Go to emergency immediately. The optimal window for replantation surgery Mumbai is within 6 hours of warm ischaemia or up to 12 hours if properly cold-preserved. Do not delay — call ahead to the emergency department so the hand surgery team can be prepared.
How do I know if I have cut a tendon?
The classic sign is an inability to actively flex or extend a finger joint despite an apparently minor-looking laceration. Even a small cut over the palm or underside of the finger can completely sever a flexor tendon — the injury is often larger internally than the wound suggests. Any laceration over the hand associated with a change in finger position or movement should be assessed as a potential flexor tendon repair case.
How long does recovery take after hand tendon surgery?
Early controlled motion begins within days of surgery under hand therapist supervision. Full functional recovery — including grip strength restoration — typically takes 3–6 months. The hand therapy programme is as important as the surgery itself. Patients who engage fully with therapy consistently achieve better outcomes than those who do not. Our microsurgery hand reconstruction team and hand therapists work together throughout the recovery period
Can nerve injuries in the hand fully recover?
Digital nerve recovery is generally excellent — sensation typically returns progressively over 6–12 months after repair. Recovery is influenced by the patient's age (younger patients recover faster), the gap at repair (smaller gaps do better), and the time elapsed since injury (earlier repair improves outcomes). Motor nerve recovery for median, ulnar, or radial nerve injuries takes longer — up to 2–3 years — and may require tendon transfer surgery if recovery is inadequate.
Is hand surgery available as an emergency at Shree Hospitals?
Yes — our hand surgery team is available for emergency assessment and operative intervention for urgent injuries including replantations, vascular compromises, open fractures, and tendon lacerations. Our hand injury treatment in Mumbai emergency protocol ensures that time-critical injuries such as amputations and devascularised digits are taken to theatre without delay. Contact our emergency department directly for any urgent hand injury.
Treatments For Hand Injuries At Shree Hospitals
We offer a complete range of plastic and reconstructive surgery for hand injury treatment in Mumbai services, including comprehensive clinical evaluation, advanced diagnostic assessment, personalised treatment planning, microsurgical repair of tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and bones, reconstructive procedures, wound and soft tissue management, post-operative rehabilitation, and long-term follow-up programmes designed to restore hand function, improve mobility, enhance appearance, and help every patient regain independence and quality of life.
Flexor & Extensor Tendon Repair
Primary repair of lacerated tendons using multi-strand core sutures under regional or general anaesthesia — followed immediately by a supervised early mobilisation hand therapy protocol to maximise functional recovery.
Top Hand Injuries Specialists in Mumbai
Dr. Suyash Yashwant Patankar
Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive
Dr. Arun V. Sheth
Consultant Plastic, Cosmetic
Dr. Abhijeet Dharmaji Sawant
Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic
Dr. Udit Dalmia
Consultant Plastic, Aesthetic
Board-certified Surgeons and Specialists with an average of 15+ years of experience in their areas of expertise.
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