COVID-19 Update: We plan to remain open during the Coronavirus outbreak to take care of our patients and to keep as many patients out of the emergency rooms as possible. Visiting your doctor is allowed under the current North Carolina guidelines for social-distancing. “Elective surgeries” have been canceled, but we are performing urgent and emergency procedures as needed.
If you have fever, shortness of breath, cough, flu-like symptoms or have been exposed to someone suspected of COVID-19, please call to reschedule your office appointment and notify your primary care physician by phone. We have started screening patients in our office to help reduce the spread of this disease in our community. We are also asking patients to bring only one other person with them to their appointment.
Please call our office if you are interested in a Telemedicine visit, which is a video visit with your doctor from the comfort of your home.
Updated 3/26/2020: Governor Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency in North Carolina due to the spread of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 illness. Additionally, he has suspended all “elective” surgery in the state in hospitals and surgery centers. Just what is an elective surgery? The Department of Health and Human Services in North Carolina has defined this as any surgery which if not done within 4 weeks would cause harm to the patient. In other words, only surgery that is time-sensitive and needs to be done within 4 weeks will be allowed.
Many surgeries in orthopedics are urgent or non-elective. These surgeries ideally should be done sooner rather than later in order to achieve the best outcome. Delay of a few weeks can result in a worse outcome. Examples of urgent procedures in hand surgery include: fracture repair, tendon repair, nerve repair, drainage of infections, stabilization of dislocated joints, treatment of burns, among others. If you have an injury, please seek prompt evaluation. Your doctor will decide which treatment is best, and surgery can be performed if this procedure is considered urgent. For most patients, Raleigh Hand to Shoulder Center doctors can perform surgery at an ambulatory surgery center as an outpatient outside the hospitals.
Urgent Conditions in the hand and arm:
- Fractures
- Tendon injuries
- Nerve damage
- Infections
- Joint dislocations
- Skin lacerations
- Burns