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Day: October 29, 2026

29Oct

Your hands do almost everything you do, from cooking and writing to driving and holding your child.
When a hand is injured, the damage often goes beyond what you can see. A cut that looks small may involve a tendon or a nerve, and if it is not treated in time, the hand may never work as it did before.
Knowing which injuries cannot wait can protect your hand’s movement and feeling.

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hand surgery in kerala
hand surgery in kerala

Why the Hand Is So Delicate

In a very small space, the hand packs together:
• Tendons, which bend and straighten the fingers
• Nerves, which give feeling and control small muscles
• Blood vessels, which keep the fingers alive
• Bones and joints, which give structure and movement
• Thin skin, which has little padding over these structures
Because everything lies so close to the surface, even a shallow-looking wound can damage several
of these structures at once.

Common Causes of Hand Injuries

• Kitchen accidents, such as knife cuts
• Broken glass, especially from windows or doors
• Machinery and workshop tools, including grinders, saws, and presses
• Road accidents
• Door and car-door crush injuries
• Firecrackers and burns
• Falls onto an outstretched hand
• Animal bites

Emergency Signs: See a Doctor Straight Away

Go to a hospital with a plastic or hand surgeon immediately if you have:
• A deep cut that gapes open or shows yellow fat, tendon or bone
• Numbness or tingling in a finger after an injury
• Inability to bend or straighten a finger or the thumb
• A finger that looks pale, white, blue or cold after injury
• Heavy bleeding that doesn’t stop with pressure
• A partly or fully cut-off finger, thumb or hand
• A crush injury with severe swelling, a deformed shape or a lot of pain
• A deep cut from a machine, a dirty wound or a bite, which can get infected quickly
• Signs of infection, such as spreading redness, swelling, pus, fever or throbbing pain
If you are unsure, it is safer to be seen. Some injuries, such as a divided tendon or nerve, do not look
dramatic at first.

First Aid: What to Do Right Now

1. Stay calm and control the bleeding. Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or gauze.
Keep pressing and raise the hand above heart level. Don’t keep lifting the cloth to check.
2. Remove rings, watches, and bracelets right away, before swelling makes it impossible. If you
can’t remove a ring, tell the doctors.
3. Cover the wound with a clean, dry cloth or sterile dressing. Don’t scrub it hard or apply powders,
creams, turmeric, oil or home remedies.
4. Don’t pull out anything deeply stuck in the wound. Leave it in place, support it and go to
hospital.
5. Keep the hand raised and still. A pillow or sling can help.
6. Don’t eat or drink if you may need surgery, because doctors may need you to have an empty
stomach for anaesthesia.
7. Go to hospital immediately. Ask someone else to drive you. Don’t drive yourself with a badly
injured hand.
A tourniquet is a last resort. Use one only for severe bleeding that threatens life and cannot be
controlled by firm pressure. Note the time it was applied and tell the doctors.

If a Finger or Part of the Hand Is Cut Off

A cut-off finger or hand part can sometimes be reattached, but time is critical.
1. Control the bleeding on the hand with firm pressure and elevation.
2. Find the cut-off part and don’t leave it behind.
3. Wrap it gently in clean gauze or a clean cloth, slightly moistened with clean water or saline.
4. Place it in a clean, sealed plastic bag.
5. Put that bag on ice or in a container of ice and cold water. Keep it cold, but never place the
part directly on ice and never freeze it.
6. Go straight to a hospital with microsurgery facilities. Call ahead if possible so the team can
prepare.
Do not soak the part in water, alcohol or antiseptic, and don’t discard it even if it looks badly
damaged. Let the surgeon decide.

What a Plastic Surgeon Can Repair

Plastic and reconstructive surgeons are trained to treat all the layers of the hand together. Treatment
may include:
• Hand surgery to repair tendons, fix fractures, and rebuild damaged tissue
• Nerve repair and grafting to restore feeling and movement, including more complex cases
involving peripheral nerve and brachial plexus surgery
• Microvascular surgery to reconnect tiny blood vessels, which makes it possible to reattach some
cut-off fingers and hands
• Skin grafts and flaps to cover wounds when skin has been lost
• Reconstruction after injury to improve function and appearance
The type of treatment depends on the injury, how soon you reach the hospital and your overall health.
Not every injury can be repaired, and the surgeon will give an honest assessment.

Why Early Treatment Matters

• Tendons and nerves repair better when treated early, and delay can make surgery harder.
• Blood supply to a damaged finger can fail quickly, and a cut-off part can survive only for a limited
time.
• Infection can spread rapidly in the closed spaces of the hand and may cause stiffness or lasting
damage.
• Stiffness and scarring can develop if wounds are not treated and moved correctly.

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Surgery is only the first step. Good recovery depends on what happens afterwards:
• Follow the splint and dressing instructions exactly, and keep the hand raised to reduce
swelling.
• Attend hand therapy or physiotherapy. Therapists guide gentle exercises that prevent stiffness
and help tendons glide.
• Be patient with nerves. Feeling returns slowly, and it may take months.
• Don’t start using the hand too early or return to heavy work until your surgeon says it is safe.
• Keep follow-up appointments so the team can adjust your plan.

Preventing Hand Injuries

• Use guards, and never bypass safety features on machines.
• Wear gloves and protective equipment in workshops and factories.
• Don’t use machinery when tired or distracted.
• Use cut-resistant gloves and a stable cutting board in the kitchen.
• Keep children away from doors, machinery and firecrackers.
• Handle glass carefully and clear broken pieces with care.

Hand Injury Care in Thrissur with Dr. Jyoshid R. Balan

Dr. Jyoshid R. Balan is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Sushrutha Institute of Plastic Surgery,
Elite Mission Hospital, Thrissur. His practice includes hand surgery, nerve repair, and microvascular
surgery, and he treats injuries as well as problems from earlier injuries. Patients have described the
surgery and recovery care as giving them a second chance at life.
For a fresh injury, go to the hospital straight away. For stiffness, numbness, or a hand that never
recovered well after an earlier injury, book a consultation at drjosh.in/contact or call +91 8113005557

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What counts as a hand emergency?

Deep cuts, numbness, inability to move a finger, a pale or cold finger, heavy bleeding, a cut-off finger
or hand, and severe crush injuries all need urgent care.

2. Can a cut-off finger be reattached?

Sometimes. It depends on the type of injury, how the part has been kept and how quickly you reach a
hospital with microsurgery facilities. The surgeon will assess whether reattachment is possible.

3. How should I carry a cut-off finger?

Wrap it in clean, slightly moist gauze, put it in a sealed plastic bag, and place the bag on ice or in cold
water. Never put it directly on ice, and never soak it in water or antiseptic.

4. How do I know if a tendon is cut?

You may be unable to bend or straighten a finger, or the finger may rest in an odd position. But a
tendon can be cut even if the finger still moves a little, so any deep cut should be checked.

5. How do I know if a nerve is damaged?

Numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in part of a finger after an injury can suggest nerve damage. It is not always obvious straight away, so get any such injury checked.

6. Should I use a tourniquet?

Only as a last resort for severe, life-threatening bleeding that firm pressure cannot control. Note the
time you applied it and tell the doctors.

7. Is it too late if I've waited a few days?

It is better to be seen as early as possible, but it is still worth seeing a surgeon. Some injuries can still
be treated or reconstructed later, though the options may be different.

8. How long does recovery take?

It varies widely. Simple repairs may take weeks, while nerve repair can take many months for feeling
to return. Hand therapy is a key part of recovery.

9. Will I get full movement back?

It depends on the injury, how soon it was treated and how well therapy is followed. Many patients
regain good function, but no surgeon can promise a perfect result, and your surgeon will give you an
honest outlook.

10. Do old hand injuries still need treatment?

Yes, they can. Stiffness, scars that limit movement, numbness and badly healed injuries can
sometimes be improved with reconstructive surgery.

 

11. How can i book appointment Dr. Jyoshid R Balan?

You can book a consultation with Dr Jyoshid R. Balan by contacting his clinic directly.

Sushrutha Institute of Plastic Surgery
Elite Mission Hospital, Koorkenchery, Thrissur, Kerala – 680007
Phone / WhatsApp: +91 81130 05557
Email: drjosh4u@gmail.com

You can also use the Book Now option on his official website:

Book an appointment with Dr. Jyoshid R Balan

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