Hand

HAND SURGERY


Many people are not aware that both orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons are trained in the field of hand surgery, which is a specialty in its own right. The anatomy of the hand is complex and the interplay between the various structures is extremely delicate. Operations on a hand should therefore only be undertaken by a surgeon who frequently operates on hands. Prior to accepting his new role as Head of Plastic Surgery at Stellenbosch University, he was a sessional consultant at the Martin Singer Hand Unit at the Groote Schuur Academic Hospital. He has a keen interest in soft tissue surgery of the hand and continues to conduct research in this specialty in his academic capacity at Stellenbosch University. Examples of soft tissue hand operations that Prof Kairinos performs in his private practice include surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain's disease, Dupuytren's disease, malignancy and cosmetic hand surgery (fillers and micro-fat grafting).


Awards presented to Prof Kairinos by the South African Society of Surgery of the Hand: