Tulane Health System Launches New Hand Surgery Service

Led by Dr. Gleb Medvedev, orthopedic hand surgeon, Tulane Health System recently launched a new hand surgery service specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hand and upper extremity injuries and disorders.

The program provides comprehensive care and treatment for a broad range of conditions affecting the hand and arm, including fractures and trauma, tendon and ligament injuries, tennis elbow, arthritis, neuromuscular disorders, tumors of the hand and forearm, and hand deformities, such as Dupuytren’s contracture. Surgical options offered include arthroscopic wrist procedures, and endoscopic and open carpal tunnel surgery.

Also, Dr. Medvedev specializes in complex nerve injuries and conditions in which the nerves are compressed, causing numbness, weakness, or pain in the hands or arms. While some nerve conditions can heal on their own, more severe issues may require supportive care, or surgical intervention, and follow-up rehabilitation. In some cases, nerve transfers may offer an alternative to tendon transfers if the injury occurred within the past year, said Dr. Medvedev.

Tulane Health System’s hand surgery program is supported by the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine, and includes a multi-disciplinary team of rehabilitation and occupational medicine experts to help speed recovery, and best serve patients.

Dr. Medvedev has returned to New Orleans and Tulane Orthopaedics after initially earning his undergraduate and medical degrees from Tulane University. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a hand surgery fellowship at the Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center.

“I am excited to be bringing my career full circle by returning to Tulane,” said Dr. Medvedev. “I look forward to the opportunity of providing patients with high-quality care for their hand, wrist, and elbow treatment needs.”

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and a candidate member of both the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Association for Hand Surgery.

Tulane’s hand surgery program represents the health system’s latest investment to expand and improve orthopedic services in the New Orleans region. Other initiatives this year include the opening of the Tulane Lakeside Orthopaedic Clinic in Metairie, which treats both adult and pediatric patients, and the opening of the area’s first dedicated women’s sports medicine program, directed by Dr. Mary Mulcahey.  

To learn more about the Tulane hand surgery program, or to make an appointment with a hand specialist, call (504) 444-4001.

09/12/2017