Hand surgery is the field in medicine that deals with problems with your fingers, hand, wrist, and forearm.

A Hand Surgeon is a doctor that is specially trained to treat problems of the fingers, hand, wrist and forearm and treat you with and without surgery. We have undergone additional super-specialized training in the treatment of hand and wrist problems well beyond their board certified specialty training in orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, or general surgery. 

Yes. Dr. Traverso is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Yes. Dr. Traverso is Fellowship Trained in Hand Surgery. He completed his hand surgery sub-specialist training at the University of Connecticut.

Dr. Traverso is sub-specialized in hand and wrist problems. This includes all soft tissue, nerves, bones, vessels in the fingers, hands, wrist and forearm. Dr. Traverso also treats soft tissue and nerve compression at the elbow and performs both minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery and microsurgery if indicated.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where one of your nerves is being pinched or compressed in your wrist. The median nerve passes through a tiny tunnel with nine (9) other tendons. This nerve supplies strength to your thenar muscles (the muscles that bring your thumb across your palm to touch your small finger), as well as touch sensation to your thumb, index, middle and half of your ring finger. This median nerve is compressed in carpal tunnel syndrome.

There are many ways to approach managing carpal tunnel syndrome and this is based on the severity of nerve compression. Splinting with anti-inflammatory medication, occupational therapy and surgery are all discussed on an individualized basis during your consultation with Dr. Traverso. Surgery is not the only way of managing this issue. However, many patients present late and significant nerve compression confirmed by nerve conduction studies often requires surgical release for long lasting cure.

Cortisone, like many medications, can cause damage to tendons and cartilage. However, the quantities used for injections of the hand and wrist usually do not cause any significant side effects once administered by a trained hand specialist. Diabetics are treated with caution since uncontrolled blood sugar levels need to be addressed prior to any cortisone injection.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel (a pinched nerve at the wrist). There are numerous causes but most times the cause is not clear. There is no scientific evidence that computer use, typing or using a mouse causes this condition. However, these activities may worsen the condition or make a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome more symptomatic. Certain wrist fixed activities like driving a car, holding a cell phone and blow drying your hair may worsen the symptoms. Please view Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for more information.

There are classic symptoms that clue us into whether we have nerve compression at the wrist. Some things Dr. Traverso will ask would include:

• Do your hands wake you up from sleep at night with numbness and tingling?
• Do you experience numbness and tingling during daytime activities? If so which activities? What do you do to get rid of that sensation?
• Which fingers are involved? – usually the thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger get numbness/tingling
• Do you have CONSTANT numbness and tingling? – constant symptoms (present 24 hours a day with no complete relief) is a sign of very advanced carpal tunnel syndrome and needs URGENT evaluation by a Hand Surgeon
• Do you drop items/experience weakness of your hands? – weakness of your thenar muscles (the bulk of muscles in your hand that pulls your thumb to touch your small finger) is a sign of very advanced carpal tunnel syndrome and needs URGENT evaluation by a Hand Surgeon

The day of surgery, you are placed in a hand dressing. Your fingers and thumb will be free to move. Use of you hand in the dressing is encouraged. Three (3) days after surgery, you will remove the dressing at home and use your hand for all normal daily activities.

Most times, the night time numbness and tingling will be resolved the night after surgery.

The procedure releases the compression on your median nerve. It is NOT a repair of the nerve. In contrast, the nerve is protected during the procedure. After release of the nerve, you have to allow your body to heal itself. Depending on the severity of your carpal tunnel syndrome, it may take up to a year and a half or longer to see how much your numbness and tingling will improve.

Dr. Traverso is on staff at Broward Health Coral Springs and at West Boca Medical Center. Surgeries are performed mainly at these locations.

Please call the office (954-575-8056) to get Dr. Traverso’s office hours. You should be able to get an appointment within one week.

Dr. Traverso currently accepts the following Insurances. However, please call the office (954-575-8056) to ensure your plan is accepted by Dr. Traverso. If not, then please discuss payment options with the office prior to your visit.

Aetna/Coventry/First Health

Avmed (Not on Engage or Jackson Memorial)

BCBS  (Not on Select)

Best Choice Network

Careplus

Cigna

Corvel

Coventry WC

Dept of Labor WC

Genex WC

GHI/Emblem Health

HealthSun

Heritage Summit WC

Humana

Medica

Molina Healthcare (no Medicaid products)

Medicare

Multiplan

Optacomp

Orthopedix

Preferred Care Partners 

School Insurance of Florida

United Healthcare (Not on AARP Medicare Complete or other Medicare programs).

A hand therapist is an occupational therapist who, has become proficient in treating upper extremity conditions resulting from disease, trauma, acquired or congenital deformity. They undergo clinical experience, advanced continuing education, and integration of knowledge in kinesiology, physiology and anatomy.

A certified hand therapist (CHT) is a hand therapist who has achieved advanced certification. To obtain the CHT credential, a therapist must be in practice for a minimum of five years and must have accumulated at minimum 4,000 hours of treatment for hand and upper extremity conditions. Certified hand therapists must also pass a rigorous certification exam to demonstrate their competency in the practice.

You can find a Certified Hand Therapist by going to the Therapy website: www.asht.org and can find more information here.

• Drivers License or Valid ID
• Referral Letter (if required)
• Reports, X-Rays, MRI’s, CT Scans, Nerve Conduction Test, etc
• Any other relevant information
• Insurance Information
• List of Medications (if any)