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Knowledge base

Patient information

Patient-facing guides to common hand and upper-extremity conditions — what they are, how they’re diagnosed, when surgery is indicated, and what recovery looks like.

  1. Melanoma surgery

    Wide local excision and sentinel node biopsy after melanoma: why the margin follows Breslow thickness, what happens on the day, the risks and follow-up.

  2. Skin cancer surgery

    What basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are, why excision is the usual treatment, what margins mean, how wounds are closed, and what recovery involves.

  3. Thumb-base arthritis

    Thumb-base (CMC) arthritis: symptoms, splints, exercises, injections, and how trapeziectomy compares with joint replacement in recovery, strength and risk.

  4. Trigger finger

    Why a finger catches or locks, who gets trigger finger, and how it is treated: splints, steroid injections and a small day-case operation.

  5. Scar revision and management

    A plain-language guide to scar revision and management — why scars form, what non-surgical treatments and scar revision surgery can achieve, and what results are realistic. Written by a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

  6. Dupuytren's disease

    A plain-language guide to Dupuytren's disease — what it is, what causes it, how it is diagnosed, and the contemporary treatment options including needle fasciotomy and limited fasciectomy. Written for patients by a consultant hand surgeon.

  7. Carpal tunnel syndrome

    A plain-language patient guide to carpal tunnel syndrome — symptoms, diagnosis, conservative care, and when surgery is the right step. Written by a hand surgeon.