Patient resources
Your First Visit
A first consultation is mostly conversation and examination. The aim is to understand what is happening, how it affects what you do, and what has already been tried - which usually tells a surgeon more than any single test.
What to bring
- A list of your current medications, including anything over the counter
- Imaging - X-rays, CT, MRI or ultrasound - as the images themselves where possible, not only the reports
- Operative reports from any previous hand or upper-extremity surgery
- Nerve conduction studies or other diagnostic tests
- Hand therapy records, if you have had therapy
- Your insurance card and photo identification
- Any splints or braces you have been using
Questions worth thinking about beforehand
These are the questions that most shape a treatment plan, and they are easier to answer if you have thought about them in advance.
- When did the problem start, and did anything specific set it off?
- Is it getting better, worse, or staying the same?
- What can you no longer do, or do comfortably?
- What makes it better and what makes it worse?
- Is it worse at any particular time of day, or at night?
- What has already been tried, and did any of it help?
What happens during the visit
- A detailed history of the problem and how it affects your daily life
- Examination of the hand and arm, and often of the neck and shoulder as well
- Review of any imaging or records you bring
- A discussion of what is likely going on, and what the options are
- Where more information is needed, arranging the specific tests that will change the plan
Practical details
Arrival time, parking, what to wear and how long to allow.
Questions
Will I need an X-ray at the first visit?
Sometimes. Imaging is arranged when it will change what happens next, rather than as a routine. If you already have recent imaging, bring it - repeating a study unnecessarily is worth avoiding.
Will I have surgery scheduled at the first visit?
Not usually, and not before you have had a chance to consider the options. Many problems are treated without surgery, and where surgery is appropriate there is normally time to think about it.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes, and it often helps. A second person hears things you may not, and remembers what was said afterwards.
Request an appointment
Consultations begin with understanding your symptoms, what you can no longer do comfortably, and what has already been tried.