In this section, instead of making the description of hand surgery, microsurgery, elbow and shoulder surgery, I would like to describe the emotion and history of this art. Similar information can be found in other sites anyhow.
The orhopedics and traumatology assistant during their post graduation period realize that they like a subbranc more than any other during 5 years they get the know the patients and diseases. It was hand surgery and upper extremity surgery (hand, wrist and shoulder) for me.
In 1933, the last year of my post graduation, because of the hand surgery and microsurgery assistant rotation I made in abroad for 3 months, my journey in this field (hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder) started. That time, like all of my friends wishing to learn this profession in abroad, I laboured over, passed the exams and had the opportunity to do my sub-brach post graduation for 2 years in New York, one of the most important centers where this art is performed. I can say that one of the most important priviliges ı acquired in my life is to perform operations and discuss the cases with Littler, as the first generation’s, Beasley, as the second generation’s and Hausman as the third generation’s representatives, and to contribute to the scientific production.
Differently from the first generation, second generation hand surgeons witnessed the usage of microsurgery technics. These technics were basically developed as a medical result of the progress in optic technology. The injuries which could not be repaired with naked eye in the past were now in the field of our interest with microscope. Accepting the stitching of the organs seperated from the body after the trauma (replantation) as an ordinary operation in every city is a result of us and our teachers. Third generation hand surgeons like us have also witnessed the usage of endoscopic (arthroscopy) technics in the upper extremity surgeries. This progress has been achieved with the contirbution of our colleques dedicated to the shoulder and elbow surgery.
As the medical extension of the progresses in biomedical technology, the detection with a camera enabling magnification to repair the injury in the joints could now be made by causing less trauma and the injured area could be repaired.
In Summary, microsurgery and artroscopic surgery should not be considered as two different specilization areas. These are highly important surical methods required to provide the best treatment in the hand and upper extremity surgeries.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
In this section, the aim is to give information on the diseases most commonly observed in the hand surgery. It should not be forgotten that medicine is a continuosly changing science and art. Even though compatible with updated literature, the information given here can be considered ad old style or wrog after a while. Another factor is the effect of the personal experience to the articles. Medicine is not only a science but also an art. There is no mathematical truths or equations. In other words, an approach that is correct for me may not be considered in the same way by another doctor. That’s why, the best approach is to be examined by the relevant doctor after informing.
Another significant issue is the visual content. There are some pictures taken during the surgical interventions to explain some terms in a better way. They may disturb you and especially non-adults. Wishing you a life free of diseases…
Dr. J. William Littler MD. 1916-2005.
Dr. Michael Robert Hausman
Dr. Robert W. Beasley
