title: Patient satisfaction with postoperative follow-up by a hand therapist.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There has been a move to reduce and, indeed, stop postoperative appointments for uncomplicated surgical procedures within the National Health Service. The purpose of this study was to measure patient satisfaction with postoperative follow-up conducted by a hand therapist, with no routine postoperative follow-up by the surgeon.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 124 patients were recruited over two years. Fifty patients post-simple trapeziectomy and 74 patients post-single-digit Dupuytren's fasciectomy were prospectively surveyed for their opinion on their postoperative care and whether or not they would have liked to be reviewed by the surgeon in a routine postoperative follow-up appointment. All patients included in this study had their operations performed by one surgeon in one hospital. All patients were reviewed by a hand therapist within two weeks of surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 116 patients completed the study, of whom 106 patients (91%) were satisfied with their postoperative management and 99 patients (85%) did not want to be reviewed by the surgeon in a postoperative outpatient follow-up appointment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reflects the successful application of postoperative follow-up by a hand therapist.
authors.affiliation: East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate, Kent, UK. Elnikety@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elnikety
authors.forename: Moataz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Husseiny
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.forename: Gautam D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Talawadekar
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D059825:Physical Therapists; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies