Your Healthcare Connection: Hand and Wrist at Olympia Orthopaedics

0 Shares

 

kurt anderson olympia
Dr. Kurt Anderson recently joined Olympia Orthopaedic Associates after eight years as hand specialist in Spokane.

Imagine for a moment that you don’t have the use of your hands.  Think of the daily tasks that you would be unable to perform.  Simply typing this article would be out of the question for me, but beyond that, the tasks of dressing, eating, driving….simply living….would all be compromised.  People seek treatment for all parts of their bodies.  Still, six weeks on crutches or in a wheelchair still allows a patient the use of their hands and arms, and therefore the ability to carry on fairly well.  Hands are another story.

The physicians in Olympia Orthopaedic Associates’ Hand and Upper Extremity department work with patients who have medical conditions of the hand and arm, including the elbow, helping them regain function as quickly as possible, getting back to living their life.  Dr. Gregory Byrd and Dr. Kurt Anderson are board certified orthopeadic surgeons who have completed fellowships specializing in hand and upper extremity conditions.  Having two highly specialized doctors, right here in Olympia, has increased access for patients with a need for specialized care.

“In the past,” shares Dr. Byrd, “there has been a three to six month wait to see a hand specialist.  With the addition of Dr. Anderson, we are seeing that drop to about two to four weeks now.”  Not only are wait times decreased for consultations, but the office is more available for urgent cases as well.

“There is still a perception among primary care doctors that the wait times for patients they refer are months long,” explains Dr. Byrd.  “We want them to know that we have significantly shortened this time and they should refer without fear of a long wait.”

Dr. Kurt Anderson joined the OOA team just four months ago after eight years as a hand specialist in Spokane, Washington.  His experience with hand and upper extremity, particularly the elbow, compliments Dr. Byrd’s expertise and has been a major factor in allowing the group to see more patients every day.

oly ortho
With two highly specialized doctors in Olympia, including Dr. Gregory Byrd, access to care has improved. Wait times for appointments has dropped to only a few weeks.

Anderson shares that despite the fact that most general orthopaedists tend to shy away from the elbow, it’s one area he’s drawn to.  “It is one of the last areas of the body to be explored and researched.  I enjoy keeping up on the research, learning as much as I can about new surgeries such as elbow replacement and ligament stabilization.”  In fact, Dr. Anderson doesn’t just keep up on the research, but has authored several research papers on the elbow and travels widely, speaking with other surgeons on hand and upper extremity care.

He will be sharing some of his knowledge with physicians, patients, and those with interest in elbow pain causes and treatments, at an upcoming lecture at Saint Martin’s University on November 7.  Presented by Providence St. Peter Hospital, details on the lecture can be found here.

In addition to the physicians, a crucial member of the team is Kate Sisco, the team’s dedicated hand therapist.  Sisco works with patients addressing chronic conditions as well as rehabilitation after surgery. The team works with a larger group of therapists throughout the area as well and believes them to be integral to patient healing.  “Hand therapy is a critical component of what we do and open communication with all therapists throughout the community is very important to us,” shares Byrd.

I assumed a hand therapist was simply a “physical therapist” for your hand and arm.  However, hand therapists are specially trained occupational therapists who educate and guide patients to regain full function.  The duties of a hand therapist include making splints and post-operative care to explain the healing process and all the medical “jargon” that they encounter through a complex process such as hand surgery.  She is in many ways an extension of the doctors and liaison for patients as they heal.

oly ortho hand therapy
Kate Sisco is a hand therapist at Oly Ortho. She is a specially trained occupational therapist who educates and guides patients to regain full function.

“With the hand, stiffness is a huge issue,” shares Dr. Byrd.  “If you don’t move it, you will truly lose it and Kate’s diligence with our patients is invaluable as they work to combat stiffness.”

“Therapy should be realistically incorporated into people’s daily lives,” says Sisco .  She recognizes that balancing family life, job duties and every day responsibilities requires a realistic approach.  Therefore, she designs an exercise routine to ensure healing.  Beyond the rigor of therapy, Sisco is a compassionate motivator for her patients.  She understands that patients can be apprehensive about treatment and she provides a calming, reassuring approach.

“One of the reasons that I went into hand as a specialty is that from the shoulder down, there are over 1100 procedures that can be done,” explains Dr. Byrd.  “The diversity in the field is vast – from congenital deformities, to arthritis, to carpel tunnel, to nerve and ligament repair – so we never get bored.   The diagnostic difficulty is often as significant as the repair.  With so many critical moving parts that make your hands work properly, we end up with some real head scratchers sometimes and the mystery is something we all really love.”

The hand specialists at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates are very available and very well trained.  They will do what it takes to get you into their office quickly and treat your hands with cutting edge technology, the most recent research, and a compassion that lets you know they get it – you need your hands.  And they’ll help you get them working again.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares