Hand Surgeon Bad Homburg: Prof. Dr Dr habil. Michael Sauerbier

Card

Prof. Dr Dr habil. Michael Sauerbier is a specialist in hand surgery and works in his private practice for hand and plastic surgery.

With the most excellent medical competence, personal empathy, and care, Prof. Sauerbier, with nearly 30 years of experience, offers the entire spectrum of hand surgery using the latest microsurgical and minimally invasive surgical techniques. The patient, as a human being, is always in the foreground.

Experienced Hand Surgeon in Bad Homburg with the Greatest Expertise

During his practical training as a plastic surgeon, which Prof. Sauerbier completed at numerous locations from Hamburg to the United States to Heidelberg, he gained an excellent wealth of experience in hand surgery before finally establishing a private medical practice in Bad Homburg.

Alongside his medical activities, Prof. Sauerbier rendered outstanding services to academic research in reconstructive hand surgery and was eventually appointed professor at the universities of Heidelberg and Frankfurt.

Prof. Sauerbier will be the President of the German Society for Hand Surgery (DGH) starting in the fall of 2024.

Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Surgery and Conservative Therapy

The carpal tunnel is the bony canal on the inside of the wrist. In addition to the tendons that run from the finger flexors on the forearm to the individual fingers, the canal also contains the median nerve, which splits into its terminal branches after exiting the carpal tunnel on the palm of the hand. If this nerve is additionally compressed in the constricted course of the bony canal due to fractures, swelling, weight gain, or as a result of chronic overuse, pressure damage to the nerve can occur. This is primarily noticeable through nightly pain and tingling paraesthesia, mainly in the thumb, index, middle, and ring finger areas. The little finger is not affected by damage to the median nerve due to its nerve supply by the ulnar nerve. However, over time, chronic damage to the nerve also leads to paralysis and degeneration of the affected muscles in the supply area.

To manage the symptoms, a conservative treatment strategy is sometimes pursued. By wearing a wrist splint at night and, if necessary, the local injection of cortisone preparations, the spasm can recede so that the now relieved nerve can regenerate.

Conservative therapy often does not have the intended long-term success, so surgical splitting of the flexor retinaculum (carpal ligament) is advisable to stop nerve damage. This rough ligament covers the carpal tunnel towards the palm and is divided in an outpatient setting. This can be done either by open surgery or endoscopically. This 15-minute surgery is typically carried out under local or so-called plexus anesthesia (arm anesthesia), so general anesthesia is usually not required.

Modern Hand Surgery in Hesse: Diagnosis & Therapy for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome and Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is comparable to carpal tunnel syndrome. The tibial nerve is constricted in its narrow anatomical point at the ankle joint in this clinical picture. It often develops after injuries to the ankle joint. Initially, the patients suffer from sensory disturbances on the inner side and the sole of the foot. Conservative therapy using shoe insoles can be carried out, or surgical splitting of the tarsal tunnel can be considered to prevent paralysis of the affected muscles.

Ulnar nerve entrapment is also a nerve entrapment syndrome. In this case, the ulnar nerve is compressed in its course around the elbow. Symptoms occur in the area of the little finger. Often, there are sensory disturbances and later paralysis of the hand muscles in the ball of the little finger. Surgical nerve relief in the elbow area should be performed if the symptoms have persisted for a long time.

Decades of Experience in the Diagnosis & Treatment of Hand and Wrist Injuries

Professor Sauerbier looks back on three decades of experience treating top athletes, musicians, and accident victims. First, in close cooperation with radiology specialists, an initial presumptive diagnosis can be confirmed using high-resolution MRI and CT scans. Then, together with the affected person, an individual therapy regimen is developed, consisting of conservative therapy and hand surgery intervention, depending on the injury pattern and athletic requirements. Even after surgery, Professor Sauerbier recommends early rehabilitation measures to minimize wear and tear and the consequences of the injury.

Specialist in Surgery for Trigger Finger and Thumb

Tendovaginosis, also known as trigger finger, is caused by a mismatch between the diameter of the flexor tendons of the fingers and tendon sheaths in their bony canals on the palm. As a result, patients experience painful tendon constriction due to tenosynovitis, as the finger tendons no longer glide smoothly in their canalized guides during flexion but stall, and the affected finger only suddenly advances when a greater force is applied.

Since the symptoms often recur with conservative therapy involving the injection of cortisone, surgery is often unavoidable to eliminate the symptoms in the long term. First, the annular ligament of the affected finger is cut through a tiny incision so that the tendon can glide smoothly in its guide splint again.

State-of-the-Art Therapy for Arthrosis in the Fingers and Hands

Rhizarthrosis in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb frequently affects women after menopause. If intensive administration of painkillers and immobilization with thumb splinting do not bring the desired success, surgical intervention is advisable. Various methods are now available, depending on the stage. For example, the inflammatory process can be removed from the joint, malpositioning of the bones can be corrected, or the nerve supply to the joint space can be deactivated, so pain sensation is no longer transmitted.

Ganglion of the Hand - Routine Surgery in Bad Homburg, Germany

Ganglions are benign tumors often accompanied by a mass in the hand. In addition to aesthetic problems, they can cause pain in pinched nerves, vessels, or other structures due to displacing growth. Since conservative therapy of squeezing rarely promises lasting success, surgical removal with the ganglion pedicle is advisable. This procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis.

Please, visit Prof Sauerbier's website and the website of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Competence Center for further information.