Department and Faculty
The Hand Surgery Fellowship is administered in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery with a liaison in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
From the program director
Welcome to Mayo Clinic's Hand Surgery Fellowship in Rochester, Minnesota. It's my privilege to help guide our fellows through their training to enable them to achieve their goals.
Our faculty are passionate about exceptional and innovative education and meaningful and supportive mentorship. The program provides a robust educational curriculum with many extra-curricular opportunities for learning. You'll have access to diverse, world-renowned faculty who are leaders in various areas of hand and microvascular surgery. Available are unparalleled resources for clinical and basic science research. Participate in domestic and international outreach health opportunities. As a fellow, you'll gain experience through a high volume of outpatient and surgical experiences.
Browse our website to learn more about our fellowship and how we can be a part of your career interests and focuses.
Peter C. Rhee, D.O., M.S.
Hand Surgery Fellowship Program Director
Faculty
In addition to caring for patients in clinical practice, Mayo Clinic's faculty is committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Many of our faculty members have published and lectured extensively and are highly regarded in their fields.
Orthopedic surgery
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Peter Amadio, M.D.Interests: Hand surgery, tendon repair, and reconstruction in the hand, compression neuropathy in the hand, pediatric and congenital hand disorders, hand tumors, hand problems in musicians |
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Allen Bishop, M.D.Interests: Reconstructive microsurgery, brachial plexus injury, vascularized bone grafting |
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Sanj Kakar, M.D.Interests: Management of sports injuries to the elbow, wrist, and hand wrist arthroscopy; upper extremity tumors and malignancies; joint replacements (hand, wrist, and elbow) Wrist and scapholunate instability; distal radioulnar joint arthritis and instability; wrist, carpal, and hand fractures; wrist and hand arthritis and arthroplasty; Dupuytren's disease; arthroscopy and TFCC injury; compression neuropathies; vascularized bone grafts for nonunions |
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Kristin Karim, M.D.Interests: Carpal tunnel syndrome (endoscopic carpal tunnel release), cubital tunnel syndrome, nerve compression disorders; community education; DeQuervain's and other hand, wrist, and forearm tendinopathies; Dupuytren's contractures; finger, thumb, and wrist arthritis; finger, thumb, hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow fractures; nerve, ligament, tendon, and blood vessel injuries; rheumatoid arthritis and deformities; sports injuries including scapholunate ligament injuries, TFCC injuries; thumb ligamentous injuries; trigger fingers; ulnocarpal abutment syndrome; upper extremity amputations; upper extremity care for athletes |
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Nicholas Pulos, M.D.Interests: Reconstruction of brachial plexus birth palsies and traumatic brachial plexus injuries, management of fracture nonunions with vascularized bone grafts, peripheral nerve surgery, wide awake hand surgery, multimodal pain strategies |
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Peter Rhee, D.O., M.S.Interests: Correction of spasticity in the upper and lower extremities after a brain or spinal cord injury; upper extremity reconstruction in spinal cord injury; management of fracture nonunions with vascularized bone grafts; post-traumatic reconstruction of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand; reconstructive microsurgery; peripheral nerve surgery; wide awake hand surgery; diaphragm reanimation in cervical spinal cord injury (quadriplegia/tetraplegia) |
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Marco Rizzo, M.D.Interests: Reconstructive surgery of the hand and wrist; joint replacement of the hand/wrist; rheumatoid arthritis; trauma of the hand, wrist, and forearm; Dupuytren’s disease; thumb arthritis; nerve compression syndromes of the hand, wrist, and elbow; hand and upper extremity tumors; overuse conditions of the hand, wrist, and elbow; tendon reconstructions for the upper extremity; treatment of chronic deformities following trauma; treatment of hand and upper extremity infections |
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Alexander Shin, M.D.Interests: Vascularized bone grafting; reconstructive microsurgery; wrist reconstruction; brachial plexus injuries; minimally invasive incisionless carpal tunnel surgery hand surgery |
Plastic surgery
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Karim Bakri, M.B.B.S.Interests: Reconstructive microsurgery; cancer reconstruction; extremity surgery (upper and lower); peripheral nerve surgery; comprehensive hand and microsurgery; compression neuropathy in the hand; hand surgery; hand tumors; joint replacements (hand, wrist, and elbow); osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; tendon repair and reconstruction in the hand; trigger finger; reconstructive microsurgery; wrist, carpal, and hand fractures; wrist and hand arthritis; wrist arthroscopy; perforator flaps; general reconstruction; reconstructive microsurgery and complex reconstruction; lower extremity, trunk, and perineal reconstruction |
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Brian Carlsen, M.D.Interests: Reconstructive microsurgery; hand surgery; arthritis; peripheral nerve surgery; comprehensive hand and microsurgery; compression neuropathy in the hand; extremity surgery (upper and lower); hand tumors; joint replacements (hand, wrist, and elbow); osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; tendon repair and reconstruction in the hand; trigger finger; vascularized composite tissue transplantation (VCA); wrist, carpal, and hand fractures; wrist and hand arthritis; wrist arthroscopy |
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Steven Moran, M.D.Interests: Pediatric and congenital hand problems; arthritis; comprehensive hand and microsurgery; compression neuropathy in the hand; extremity surgery (upper and lower); hand surgery; hand tumors; joint replacements (hand, wrist, and elbow); osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; peripheral nerve surgery Tendon repair and reconstruction in the hand; trigger finger; reconstructive microsurgery; vascularized composite tissue transplantation (VCA); wrist, carpal, and hand fractures; wrist and hand arthritis; wrist arthroscopy |
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Kitty Wu, M.D.
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Advisers and mentors
Faculty advisers are available to provide comprehensive educational advice and personal support. You meet with your adviser periodically throughout the program to review your progress and career goals and ensure that your educational needs are being met. Also, your adviser may serve as a contact point for introducing you and your family to Rochester, Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic system.
Visiting professors
Many prominent professors visit Mayo Clinic each year. They present their work during lectures, participate in hospital rounds, and have informal discussions with trainees. You're encouraged to take full advantage of these educational opportunities.
Facilities
Mayo Clinic's hand surgery clinical outpatient facility consists of 12 examination rooms, one cast room, and one splint room with three full-time technicians. A hand therapy assessment unit and treatment areas are provided in conjunction with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Clinic hours are all day Monday through Friday, with alternating clinical and surgical days for each surgeon (one week the consultant is in the clinic Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with surgery on Tuesday and Thursday, reversing the following week). The Brachial Plexus Clinic is held for a half day each week and is staffed by two hand surgeons, a neurosurgeon, and support staff, including physician assistants and therapists.
Hand surgery is performed at both the Methodist campus and the Saint Marys campus of Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester and in the Gonda outpatient surgery center, also in Rochester. Added experience in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital hand differences is available through Shriners Hospital for Children (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Gillette Children’s Hospital (St. Paul, Minnesota).
Interested fellows may participate in the hand care of athletic injuries involving local schools and the junior college, including attendance at games and practices.
The Hand Surgery Fellowship offers access to the educational features of the large postgraduate training center at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Close liaison is maintained with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Department of Radiology, and the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory. Research projects with each of these departments are available, as are projects in the biomechanics laboratory with clinical applications.