Hand Surgery Bavaria: Dr Alexander Schütz

Dr Alexander Schütz is a specialist in hand surgery and a partner in the sporthopaedicum Straubing and Regensburg.

Since the hand is, besides the brain, the most human-specific organ, damage to the hand always affects the whole person. Moreover, the level of suffering is often increased because the environment does not perceive the severity of the disease accordingly. This makes the professional diagnosis, treatment of diseases, and injuries of the hand all the more critical. Dr Schütz masters the entire field of hand surgery with his broad range of services. He mainly specializes in arthroscopic surgery and arthrosis therapy, including joint replacement and endoscopic nerve decompression.

Experienced Hand Surgeon in Bavaria (Straubing & Regensburg) – Specialist for Hand and Elbow

As a respected expert in hand surgery, Dr Alexander Schütz, is involved in diagnosing and treating acute and chronic damage involving the upper extremities, especially the elbow, and hand, at his locations in Straubing and Regensburg, Bavaria. He acquired clinical training at the University Hospitals of Munich, Basel, and Regensburg. Thanks to his many years of experience, he is considered a top-rated lecturer at international congresses of professional societies for hand surgery.

Arthroscopy in the Wrist: Highest Level of Expertise in Diagnosis and Therapy.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for treating and evaluating joints through small incisions in the skin using an arthroscope with camera optics. Arthroscopies are most commonly performed on the larger joints. However, thanks to technical progress, smaller arthroscopes and instruments now also make it possible to treat smaller joints.

Dr Alexander Schütz uses innovative nanoscope technology at the sporthopaedicum to inspect the joint interiors of the hand and finger joints. Minor cartilage damage can be treated with filigree instruments; inflammatory changes can be resected. In addition, ligaments can be stabilized, and unclear MRI images of injuries can be diagnosed in a targeted manner. Samples can also be taken from inflamed tissue.

In contrast to conventional arthroscopy, the new form of nanoscopy is even more tissue-sparing.

State-of-the-Art Technology & Therapy for Tendon and Nerve Surgery

The most common nerve compression syndrome is carpal tunnel syndrome. This involves entrapment of the median nerve, which innervates the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Suppose a conservative approach to treatment with wearing a wrist orthosis at night and anti-inflammatory therapy does not bring the desired long-term success. In that case, surgery is advisable to stop the progressive nerve damage.

In these cases, Dr Alexander Schütz performs either an open or an endoscopic splitting of the traverse carpal ligament. This rough ligament covers the carpal tunnel and is separated in a minor outpatient procedure. Usually, this short surgery can be performed well under local anesthesia, so general anesthesia is not usually required.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Fibromatosis in the Hand

Fibromatosis is a benign but very aggressively growing proliferation of connective tissue that can occur at various sites in the body. In this context, the hand surgeon is usually involved with Dupuytren's contracture, a hardening, and shortening of the fan-shaped tendon plate in the palm, eventually leading to contracture of the fingers in a flexed position. This results in nodular and strand-like hardening, which can be loosened in a minimally invasive procedure under local anesthesia. Since this method uses a needle to repeatedly pierce the hardened strands through the anesthetized skin surface to separate them, it is referred to as percutaneous needle fasciotomy.

Expert for Sports Injuries Affecting the Hand and Elbow

In addition to superficial injuries to the skin, which can result in severe secondary damage due to pain and relieving postures if sports activities are resumed prematurely, Dr Schütz at the sporthopaedicum in Straubing and Regensburg addresses damage to the bony skeleton and the muscular and tendon apparatus. This is always done to avoid secondary damage, such as arthrosis of the affected joint.

Fractures of the carpal bones must be treated either in a cast or surgically, depending on the complexity of the fracture situation. For example, a fractured scaphoid bone at the wrist can be treated minimally invasively using a Herbert screw to accelerate the natural healing of the bone.

A mostly unnoticed injury to the discus in the wrist, a connective tissue disc that serves as a sliding bearing in the joint, can also lead to inflammation of the synovial membrane or severe arthrosis over time.

The damage can be repaired using a wrist splint or, if indicated, by arthroscopy to prevent subsequent damage to the joint.

Specialist for Joint-Preserving and Joint-Replacing Arthrosis Surgeries in the Hand

As with all joints in the body, cartilage can degenerate in the joints of the fingers or wrist. To treat this painful condition of arthrosis, primary arthroscopy of the finger joints and the thumb saddle joint can be carried out to evaluate the extent of the damage. Basic therapeutic measures, such as injections or treatment of the defective cartilage, can also be done in the same setting.

In addition to joint-preserving methods, the os trapezium (large polygonal bone) can also be removed along with its defective cartilage surface. If necessary, part of the adjacent os trapezoideum (small polygonal bone) is also removed in advanced arthrosis (STt arthrosis) cases. If necessary, the joint cavity is stabilized and interposed with an autologous tissue graft. Until stable healing is achieved, the metacarpal bone of the thumb and index finger is stabilized with a Kirschner wire which is not visible. This resection-augmentation-transfixion arthroplasty (RATA) can be performed in an outpatient or inpatient setting.

As a last suitable resort, endoprosthetic joint replacement with foreign material may also be considered to replace the defective cartilage with an artificial joint.

Please, visit the sporthopaedicum website for more information.