Dallas County Living Well Magazine Summer 2014 | Page 19

Q&A with Kimberly Mezera, M.D.
Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Dallas
Dr. Kimberly Mezera is a boardcertified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of hand and
upper extremity conditions including
nerve compression syndromes, tendinitis, arthritis of the hand, wrist and
elbow, fractures and trauma care—including microsurgical repair. She has
additional expertise in the treatment
of pediatric hand conditions, including congenital differences. She serves
as the director of the Hand and Upper
Extremity Center of Dallas—a practice
dedicated to delivering state-of-theart care to patients with hand and
arm problems by providing them with
access to innovative therapies and
technology. Dr. Mezera received her
medical degree from UT Southwestern
Medical School. She did her orthopedic
residency training at UT Southwestern
and Parkland Memorial Hospital. She
completed additional specialty fellowship training in the area of hand and
upper extremity surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery and The New
York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center
in New York City.

Q: What training does a
hand and upper extremity surgeon have beyond
medical school?
A: A qualified hand surgeon is typically an

orthopedic surgeon who has additional specialty training in the diagnosis and treatment
of all problems related to bone, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, skin and
blood vessels in the hand and upper extremity. Many hand surgeons have expertise with
problems of the elbow, arm and shoulder.
Hand and upper extremity specialists treat
the entire arm—not just the fingers.

Q: What conditions do hand
surgeons treat?
A:Hand surgeons treat carpal tunnel

syndrome, tennis elbow, wrist pain, sports
injuries of the hand and wrist, fractures,
trigger finger, and arthritis. Other problems
may include nerve and tendon injuries and
congenital issues. Not all problems treated
by a hand surgeon need surgery. Nonsurgical treatments—splints, therapy, injection
and medications can be helpful in improving
symptoms. Surgery is reserved for cases in
which other applicable treatments are not
successful.

Q: What can be done for arthritis of the hand?
A: The goal of nonsurgical treatment is

to preserve the patient’s own joints as long
as possible with intervention designed to
slow down the degenerative process. This
may include joint-protection education for
the patient to help them understand how
to reduce stress on the joints in daily life.
Specialized adaptive equipment, such as jar
openers, key turners and gardening tools are
specifically designed and readily available to
help patients complete tasks without hurting
their hands. Splints, therapy, paraffin wax
baths, and injections also offer good options
for pain control. Surgery may be considered
when conservative treatments fail to provide
ongoing relief. Procedures to clean, rebuild,
and replace joints destroyed by arthritis can
be very helpful in enabling patients to return
to the activities they enjoy.

Q: What is carpal tunnel
syndrome?
A: This is a condition brought on by

increased pressure on the median nerve in
the wrist. The cause is generally unknown,
but pressure on the nerve can happen several ways, including swelling and irritation
of the tendons in the carpal tunnel, overuse,

trauma and other metabolic conditions.
Symptoms may include numbness, tingling,
pain and weakness in the fingers, hand
and, occasionally, the arm. It is very common for symptoms to be worse at night,
often interrupting sleep. Symptoms may
often be relieved without surgery, and initial
treatment options include splints, activity
modification, workstation assessment and
modification, therapy and injections.

Q: What could a mass on
my hand mean?
A: Most bumps on the hand and wrist are

benign. Ganglion cysts are the most common and often resemble a balloon on a stalk
that is filled with a clear, gel-like fluid. They
may form in the presence of joint irritation or
because of mechanical changes in a tendon
or joint. The top of the wrist is the most
frequent location, but they can occur on the
palm side of the wrist, at the base of the finger, and on the top of the joint of the finger
closest to the fingernail. They may or may
not be painful and can be observed in some
cases. If the cyst grows or becomes painful, limiting activity, treatments may include
splinting and aspiration. Surgical alternatives
are reserved for more severe cases.

SERVICES PROVIDED
BY DR. MEZERA:
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Trigger Finger
Carpal Tunnel
Hand, Wrist and Forearm Fractures
Tendon and Nerve Lacerations
Infections
Arthritis
DeQuervain’s Disease
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Strains and Sprains
Fingernail Injuries and Infections
Ganglions and Cysts

North Dallas Living Well Magazine • Summer 2014

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