Hand and Upper Extremity Program
What is the Hand and Upper Extremity Program?
The Hand and Upper Extremity Program provides care for children from birth to age 20 with conditions that affect their hands or arms. Some of these conditions may be present at birth (congenital). Others, like hand fractures, may happen later. All can affect the way your child's hand or arm works or how it looks. Experts from Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery and Occupational Therapy work as a team to diagnose your child's condition and provide comprehensive care.
Most of our patients come to us because of injuries, like hand fractures, arm fractures or trauma to nerves or tendons. Along with treating injuries when they happen, we work to prevent and treat effects that can come later. For children, these effects may include growth problems if the growth plates at the ends of their bones are damaged. We treat trigger thumb, too.
Many families connect with our program because their children were born with congenital hand disorders. These conditions include syndactyly, polydactyly, symbrachydactyly, amniotic band syndrome and many others. We're also closely involved in the care of children with neuromuscular disorders, like cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis and brachial plexus palsy.
How will the Hand and Upper Extremity Program meet my needs?
The surgeons, doctors, physician assistants and others in our Hand and Upper Extremity Program are specially trained to diagnose and treat pediatric and adolescent conditions. This special training matters because children are not just little adults. Your child's body is still forming and growing, so their condition may affect them in different ways than it would affect an adult. They may need different treatment than an adult would need, too. Your child's team will make a treatment plan tailored to your child.
We're also experts in helping children and their families understand their condition, their treatment options and how to cope. When families face congenital, complex or lifelong conditions, or when their child is in pain, we know it can be hard. Our goal is to help you and your child in every way we can.
If your child needs surgery, we perform general hand and arm surgery as well as microvascular surgery. Most children can be treated in one of our clinics as outpatients. For some surgeries children need to stay overnight in the hospital.
The Hand and Upper Extremity Program is offered at our hospital campus in Seattle, our Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center and our regional clinics in Olympia and Tri-Cities. You can be referred by your child's primary care provider or another specialist, or you can call us directly. Contact the Hand and Upper Extremity Program through Orthopedics.
Read Olivia's story, about a family who comes full circle when a genetic mutation passes from grandmother to daughter to granddaughter.
Who's on the team?
Members of our Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team and our Plastic Surgery team will treat your child's hand or arm. Providers in the Hand and Upper Extremity Program include:
