Baylor St Luke’s Medical Center
While emergencies are admitted, this is not a level-one trauma center. However, upper extremity acute infections are admitted, some of which may be limb-or life-threatening as well as traumatic fractures and tendon injuries. A large amount of elective hand and upper extremity surgery is performed, primarily at the McNair campus
Ben Taub Hospital
This is a level one trauma hospital, where fellows become skilled at treating all aspects of skeletal trauma from the elbow distally as well as soft tissue trauma of nerves, tendons and cutaneous avulsions. Houston is not a heavily industrialized city and replantation is relatively uncommon, but mangled extremity injuries, amputations and revascularizations do occur with sufficient regularity for fellows to become highly skilled at replantation flap, coverage and microvascular surgery
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Fellows have a busy elective surgery schedule with some trauma such as tendon and nerve injuries, as well as hand and distal radius fractures. This is one of the biggest and busiest VA hospitals in the country. However, there is a wide spectrum of pathology ranging through wrist and hand arthritis, chronic wrist instability, entrapment neuropathies and tendon transfers, Dupuytren contracture and spinal cord injury tetraplegia. The fellow has an opportunity to make independent clinical and operative decisions, but always with close attending supervision. Physician assistants help in preoperative and postoperative clinics and three skilled certified hand therapists help provide comprehensive patient care.
Texas Children’s Hospital
This is the largest Children’s Hospital in the country and also has satellite hospitals removed from the Texas Medical Center. Fellows gain experience in the treatment of pediatric and adolescent musculoskeletal trauma, brachial plexus problems, congenital differences and spastic and movement disorders.
Texas Orthopedic Hospital and Kelsey Seybold
Fellows also work on an elective basis at this large group orthopedic private hospital as well as at the Kelsey Seybold managed care facility. Skilled hand surgery attendings marshal patients efficiently and effectively in these private settings.
