Letterman Chooses a Hand Surgeon for his On-Air Operation

(PRWEB) June 11, 2003

Rosemont, IL (PRWEB) — Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday, June 9 as he repaired a cut in Letterman’s finger while the audience looked on.

Letterman’s injury, sustained to the pinky finger on his left hand while he was slicing onions in preparation for a meal Sunday evening, required three stitches from Dr. Hotchkiss. Letterman had postponed the stitching until the taping of the show on Monday afternoon.

According to Dennis B. Phelps, MD, President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Dr. Hotchkiss’s appearance provided, “excellent exposure for hand surgery specialists. Simply by appearing on the show, Dr. Hotchkiss informed the general public that the specialty of hand surgery exists.”

The field of hand surgery deals with both surgical and non-surgical treatment of conditions and problems that may take place in the hand or upper extremity (from the tip of the hand to the shoulder). Hand surgeons can set fractures, provide appropriate nerve care, treat common problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, reattach amputated fingers, treat arthritis create fingers for children born with incompletely formed hands, and do what they can to help people function better in their day-to-day lives through restoring use of their fingers, hands, and arms.

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand offers a free “Find a Hand Surgeon” service for the general public on its website, http://www.assh.org.

The mission of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand is to advance the science and practice of hand surgery through education, research and advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners.

Founded in 1946, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand is the oldest medical specialty society in the United States devoted entirely to continuing medical education related to hand surgery.

Sharing knowledge that crosses the boundaries of several specialties is required for successful hand surgery. It incorporates skills in orthopaedics, plastic surgery, and general surgery.

The ASSH began as a select group of only 35 founding members and now includes over 1,800 members from around the world.

The Society's reputation for excellence was a founding principle, and it maintains that reputation in the selective nature of its membership, the integrity of its policies and positions, and the quality of its products and services.

For more information, please visit the Hand Society's website at http://www.assh.org