Patients treated at the Texas Children’s Hospital Hand and Microvascular Surgery Clinic now benefit from not only two physicians whose focus is on hand and upper extremity care but also from a full-time certified hand therapist.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons Dr. Mitchel Seruya and Dr. Thomas Hunt III formed a multidisciplinary team with certified hand therapist Tara Haas.
Seruya, Hunt and Haas work with registered nurses, occupational hand therapists and medical assistants to perform clinical evaluations, formulate diagnoses and provide treatment plans for patients.
Haas has been a certified hand therapist since 2008 and has primarily worked in academic medical centers, most recently at the University of Colorado Hospital. She has a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Seton Hall University and completed the Evelyn J. Mackin Hand Therapy Fellowship at the Philadelphia Hand Center. Hass’ areas of interest are trauma, burns, and tendon lacerations and repairs.
Hunt, professor and chair of the department of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor, has dedicated his career to treating sports injuries of the hand, wrist and forearm in athletes of all ages and at all levels of ability. He serves in the capacity of team physician for a national football league franchise, national medical advisor for professional golf and as a resource for elite athletes worldwide. Hunt is a graduate of Stanford University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency, along with a research fellowship focused on bone regeneration, at the University of Kansas. He also completed a fellowship in hand, upper extremity, and microsurgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Recently, he graduated with a Doctor of Science Degree in Administration-Health Services from University of Alabama in Birmingham. Hunt is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who holds a certificate of added qualification in hand surgery. He is a member of numerous national and regional specialty societies including the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association for Hand Surgery, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Association.
Seruya, who also serves as assistant professor of Plastic Surgery at Baylor, received his undergraduate and medical degrees at Columbia University. He completed his residency at Georgetown University and his craniofacial and hand/microvascular fellowships at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Seruya’s clinical interests include neonatal brachial plexus palsy, cerebral palsy, congenital hand anomalies and traumatic hand injuries. His research interests are focused on understanding clinical outcomes following pediatric upper extremity surgery and optimizing functional restoration. Seruya is a candidate member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Haas, Hunt and Seruya treat patients with hand and upper extremity problems developed at birth or from trauma or infection. Some of those conditions include cerebral palsy, webbed fingers and multiple joint contractors. Other services include microvascular surgery and distraction lengthening.
“The hallmarks of Texas Children’s Hand and Microvascular Surgery Clinic are centralized services and multidisciplinary care, allowing patients to be seen by all necessary specialists in the same location on the same day,” Seruya said. “This is more convenient for the patient and family and it also enhances quality and continuity of care.”
Located on the fifth floor of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, the Hand and Microvascular Surgery Clinic is open on Wednesday and Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A fully functional radiology suite is adjacent to the clinic, streamlining the process from diagnosis to management.
The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s Hospital recently awarded Dr. Chester Koh and Dr. Robert Williamson with $75,000 research awards.
