The Hand & Wrist Center
3918 Long Beach Boulevard, Suite 100
Long Beach, CA 90807
Phone: (562) 424-9000
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Hand & Wrist Conditions Treated
Why visit a Hand Specialist?
Although the term Hand Specialist is a relatively new concept for the general public, Hand Specialists (more commonly known as Hand Surgeons) have been in practice for several decades. The history of hand surgery itself can be traced back to World War II when Dr. Sterling Bunnell, a consultant to the United States Army, first developed a training program for interested surgeons involved in treating war injuries – specifically those pertaining to the hand and upper extremity (American Society for Surgery of the Hand). Dr. Bunnell has been appropriately credited as being a pioneer in developing the basic principles and interest in the field of hand surgery.
In present day, we know that many of our colleagues (in their respective fields) have the capacity to acutely treat many hand conditions. However, with the advancement in medicine and technology, it is appropriate that physicians study, train, and practice in specialized branches of medicine for the purposes of optimizing the quality of care delivered for certain medical conditions. We believe that this concept is especially important when relating to the upper extremities. The well-being of our hands is our livelihood and therefore, it is necessary for physicians such as ourselves to make the “availability of these services” known.
Current training to become a Hand Surgeon involves first completion of a residency in either General, Orthopedic, or Plastic Surgery, as well as qualifying and passing the respective certifying specialty board. Interested potential hand surgeons then must complete another year of specialty training called a “Hand Surgery Fellowship.” This additional year of training provides in-depth hands-on experience in all aspects of diagnosis and surgery of the hand disorders. Hand surgeons can then choose to become certified by passing another examination, the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery (CAQ).
As “Hand Surgeons,” we treat people from all “walks of life” – whether they are a professional athlete, weekend athlete, musician or artist, laborer, surgeon, clerical worker, housewife, or student. Our ultimate goal is to optimize recovery and maximize function in the upper extremities as best as possible.
We are confident that our learned and experience-based knowledge, combined with the amenity resources available, enable us to provide the care that we have come to be known for. Whether your upper extremity symptoms are relatively new or chronic, we welcome you to visit our center so that you can find out what our Hand Specialists can do for your condition.
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