Hand surgery (Surgery of the hand and wrist)

What is hand surgery?

Hand surgery is a broad term covering many different operations on the hand, wrist and fingers. It is carried out by surgeons from a plastic surgery or orthopaedic background who have trained specifically in the hand, often working closely with specialist hand therapists.

It includes urgent work after injuries, such as repairing cut tendons or nerves and fixing broken bones, and planned procedures for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, Dupuytren's disease, trigger finger, ganglion cysts, arthritis and lumps.

Because the hand is small and intricate, with nerves, blood vessels, tendons and joints packed closely together, the type of operation, the recovery and the risks vary enormously. This guide gives a general overview; for a specific problem, your surgeon will explain the particular procedure, and Vuemedics has separate guides for several common hand operations.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your surgery

• Make sure you understand exactly which operation is planned and what it is meant to achieve.
• Tell your surgeon about diabetes, smoking, blood thinners and any condition affecting healing or nerves.
• Ask whether the procedure is done under local, regional or general anaesthetic, and prepare accordingly.
• Arrange time off work and help at home, as you may have a bandaged or splinted hand for a while.
• Plan how you will manage one-handed, and arrange a lift home if you are having sedation or a general anaesthetic.
• Follow any fasting instructions for sedation or general anaesthetic.
• Be ready to commit to hand therapy and exercises, which are central to a good result.

What happens

What happens depends entirely on the operation. Many hand procedures are day cases, and a good number can be done under local anaesthetic with you awake, sometimes using a wide-awake technique without a tourniquet.

For a typical procedure, the hand is numbed or you are asleep, the surgeon works through a cut placed to protect the nearby nerves and tendons, carries out the repair or removal, then closes the skin and applies a dressing or splint.

More complex reconstructive work may take longer, sometimes use a microscope, and occasionally need an overnight stay. You will usually be given specific instructions and a hand-therapy plan before you go home.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

Because the structures in the hand are small and close together, and because so much depends on healing and rehabilitation, the specific risks vary with the operation. The single most important thing is to understand the particular procedure being recommended and to have it done by a surgeon trained specifically in hand surgery, supported by hand therapy. Ask what the realistic outcome and recovery are for your situation.

Published figures to discuss

Because hand surgery covers so many different operations, there is no single set of risk rates that applies to all of it. Outcomes and complication rates depend heavily on the specific procedure, the injury or condition, your health and how well rehabilitation goes. For meaningful figures, see the guide for your specific operation and ask your surgeon. The points below are general patterns rather than precise rates.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Recovery varies hugely between operations, from a few days for a minor procedure to several months for a tendon or nerve repair. For many hand operations, the rehabilitation and your own exercises matter as much as the surgery itself.

• A sore, swollen and sometimes bruised hand in the early weeks
• Stiffness and reduced grip that improve with exercises
• A scar that is firm or sensitive at first, then softens
• Strength and, after nerve repair, feeling returning gradually over months
• Needing to wear a splint for a period for some operations

Aftercare

• Keep the dressing or splint clean and dry until told otherwise.
• Elevate the hand in the first days to reduce swelling and throbbing.
• Do the hand exercises you are given, as these strongly affect the result.
• Wear any splint exactly as advised, especially after tendon repair.
• Take simple painkillers as needed for soreness.
• Avoid heavy or risky hand use until your surgeon or therapist clears you.
• Attend hand therapy and follow-up appointments, and massage the healed scar if advised.

• Simple painkillers at home
• Time off work arranged to match the operation
• Help at home for managing one-handed
• A way to keep the dressing dry when washing
• Hand therapy appointments noted
• Lift home arranged if having sedation or general anaesthetic
• Clinic contact number saved for any problems

Scars and how they heal

Scars depend on the operation, from tiny puncture marks for needle procedures to longer scars across the palm, wrist or fingers. Surgeons place and shape cuts, sometimes in a zig-zag, to heal well and avoid tightening across creases. Scars are usually firm and tender at first and soften over months. Sun protection and scar massage, if advised, help them settle.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Spreading redness, heat or swelling around a wound
• Pus, discharge or a wound that opens up
• Increasing rather than improving pain after the first few days
• A finger or hand that becomes pale, cold, blue or numb
• New or worsening numbness, tingling or loss of movement
• Fever or feeling generally unwell
• A hand that becomes very stiff, swollen, shiny or intensely painful out of proportion to the surgery

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result means the problem is treated and the hand works better, whether that is less pain, better movement, restored feeling or a freer finger. Some benefits appear straight away, but full strength, movement and, after nerve repair, sensation often take weeks to months.

No operation can guarantee a perfectly normal hand, and some problems can recur or recover incompletely. A good surgeon explains what the specific operation can and cannot achieve for you, and the part that rehabilitation will play.

How long the benefit lasts depends on the condition. Repairs after injury are usually durable once healed, while conditions such as arthritis, Dupuytren's disease and some nerve problems can progress or recur over time. Your surgeon can explain the outlook for your particular condition and whether further treatment might be needed in future.

Combining with other procedures

Where you have more than one hand problem, a surgeon may treat several in one operation, for example releasing a trapped nerve and a trigger finger together, if it is safe and sensible. This is planned in advance because it affects the anaesthetic, recovery and amount of hand therapy you will need.

Follow-up & long-term care

Follow-up depends on the operation but usually includes a wound check and stitch removal at around one to two weeks, hand therapy where needed, and further reviews as movement and strength improve. Report signs of infection, a cold or numb hand, or severe pain straight away rather than waiting for an appointment.

• Keep up the exercises you are given to maintain movement and strength.
• Protect the hand during the healing period as advised, especially after tendon repair.
• Massage the healed scar if advised, to keep it supple.
• Manage conditions such as diabetes and stop smoking, which affect healing and nerve recovery.
• Report new or returning symptoms early so they can be assessed.

Revision and secondary surgery reality

• Some conditions, such as arthritis, Dupuytren's disease and certain nerve problems, can progress or recur and may need further treatment.
• Tendon and nerve repairs occasionally need revision if healing or recovery is incomplete.
• Stiffness that is slow to settle is usually managed with hand therapy rather than more surgery.
• Complex injuries may need more than one operation, planned as a staged approach.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

• A clear, tailored hand-therapy plan with exercises and any splinting.
• Written wound-care advice and signs of infection or nerve or circulation problems, with a named contact route.
• Follow-up to check healing, movement and strength, with onward referral if needed.
• Honest discussion of the expected timeline and what full recovery looks like for your operation.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The specific operation and its complexity
• The surgeon's fee and the time the procedure takes
• The type of anaesthetic, as a general anaesthetic adds an anaesthetist and theatre time
• Facility or day-case theatre fee, and any overnight stay
• Implants or devices, such as wires, screws or plates, where needed
• Hand therapy sessions, which can be substantial for tendon and nerve work
• Follow-up appointments and any imaging

• The specific operation and the surgeon's fee
• The anaesthetist and theatre or facility fee
• Any implants or devices used
• Hand therapy sessions and splints
• Follow-up appointments and stitch removal
• The cancellation policy
• What happens, and what it costs, if a complication needs treating or symptoms recur

On the NHS? Most hand surgery is available on the NHS when clinically needed, particularly after injury; some elective procedures have local funding criteria, and private care is sometimes chosen for speed or choice of surgeon.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a surgeon safely

• Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
• You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

In Vuemedics’s verified data, 100% of 1 patient who reviewed their care said they felt no pressure to proceed, and 100% would recommend their surgeon (overall experience 5.0 out of 5).

Only from patients who had this care with a Vuemedics consultant and were invited to review afterwards — invitation-only, consent-recorded and independently moderated. We show the honest picture, including whether people felt under pressure.

Still early — based on a small number of reviews so far.

See how this compares across procedures in Vuemedics Insights.

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Exactly which operation are you recommending, and what is it meant to achieve?
• What are the specific risks and the realistic outcome for my problem?
• Will it be done awake or asleep, and as a day case or with a stay?
• How much hand therapy will I need, and is it included?
• How long until I can return to my specific job, hobbies and driving?
• Could my condition come back or worsen, and would I need further treatment?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for hand surgery

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: BSSH — Hand conditions (patient information) BSSH — Hand Surgery in the UK (resource) NHS — Hand tendon repair BAPRAS — Information about plastic surgery Rehabilitation following surgery for flexor tendon injuries — PMC

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.