Abstract
Modern hand surgery in Thailand started after the end of World War II. It is divided
into 4 phases. In the initial phase (1950-1965), the surgery of the hand was mainly
performed by general surgeons. In 1965-1975, which was the second phase, many plastic
surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons graduated from foreign countries and came back to
Thailand. They played a vital role in the treatment of the surgery of the hand and
set up hand units in many centers. They also contributed to the establishment of the
“Thai Society for Surgery of the Hand,” which still continues to operate. In the third
phase (1975-2000), there was a dramatic development of microsurgery because of the
rapid economic expansion. There were many replantation, free tissue transfers, and
brachial plexus surgeries in traffic and factory-related accidents. The first hand-fellow
training program began in 1993. In the fourth phase (since 2000), the number of hand
injuries from factory-related accidents began declining. But the injury from traffic
accidents had been increasing both in severity and number. Moreover, the diseases
of hand that relate to aging and degeneration had been on the rise. Thai hand surgeons
have been using several state-of-the-art technologies such as arthroscopic and endoscopic
surgery. They are continuing to invent innovations, generating international publications,
and frequently being invited as speakers in foreign countries.
Keywords
hand surgery - microsurgery - Thai - Thailand - history
