handsurg.com :: Hand Surgery Specialists, Inc.

The specialty of hand surgery developed during World War II. Battle-induced injuries to bones, joints, nerves and arteries required expertise from several surgical disciplines. Yet in the press of war, the gathering of so many specialists in one place was not practical. The need for a select group of surgeons to care for all components of the arm quickly became obvious.

Enter Dr. Sterling Bunnell, a consultant to the U.S. Army who created a training program teaching interested surgeons the multiple skills required to fulfill that need. Dr. Bunnell’s program was the progenitor of the modern hand surgery specialty.

Current training for hand surgeons requires completion of a program in Orthopedic, General or Plastic Surgery, and then passing the certifying board of that specialty. Aspiring hand surgeons must next complete a yearlong Hand Surgery Fellowship in which they receive intensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of arm problems. They become certified when they pass a final exam: the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery.

Learn More:

• Our Physicians
• Our Services
• The Mary S. Stern Fellowship
• The Surgery Center
• View video on ‘What’s a Hand Surgeon’