Dr. Jay S. Talsania MD
Hand Surgeon | Hand Surgery
250 Cetronia Road Suite 303 Allentown PA, 18104Rating
5/5
About
Dr. Jay Talsania is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Allentown, PA. Dr. Talsania specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, diseases and disorders of the bodys musculoskeletal system. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Talsania tends to bones, ligaments, muscles, joints, nerves and tendons. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Talsania received an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. This combination of engineering and medicine gives him a unique perspective in the treatment of his patients because he has such a strong understanding of the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. A native of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Talsania was the first fellowship-trained hand surgeon in the Lehigh Valley and joined OAA in 1997. His practice is devoted to the management of the hand and upper extremities. He has extensive experience in the surgical and non-surgical care of: fractures of the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand; arthritis of the wrist, thumb and fingers; flexor and extensor tendon injuries; chronic and acute wrist pain and tendonitis problems; nerve compression syndromes (cubital, carpal and radial tunnel); tumors, infections, and reconstruction of arthritic conditions. Dr. Talsania is committed to research and education and has published several articles on hand surgery topics. His research has also been published in peer review journals. Most importantly, Dr. Talsania is committed to patient education, as well as educating the community, physicians and therapists in the recognition and treatment of hand disorders.
Education and Training
Bucknell University BS in Mechanical Engineering 1986
Temple University Hospital Orthopedic Surgery Residency 1996
Thomas Jefferson University / Philadelphia Hand Center Hand Surgery Fellowship 1997
Temple Univ Sch of Med, Philadelphia Pa 1991
Temple University School of Medicine 1991
Board Certification
Orthopaedic SurgeryAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryABOS- Surgery of the Hand
Orthopaedic SurgeryAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryABOS
Provider Details
Dr. Jay S. Talsania MD's Expert Contributions
Numbness after fairly deep cut?
It should read GOOD exam, not hood exam. Please check out the American society for surgery of the hand website and find a surgeon with your zip code. READ MORE
What anesthesia is used for hand surgery?
It depends on the surgeon and the type of surgery. Most hand and wrist surgeries can be completed under local anesthesia with or without sedation. Some require a regional anesthesia such as an axillary block when the arm is numbed up. Others may require a general anesthesia. WALANT is a method wide awake , local, without tourniquet that is useful as well. READ MORE
Will I have visible scars after wrist surgery?
A simple response is yes. Depending on the location of the incision and your tendency for scarring makes a large difference in the "visibility". After surgery, there are options to limit scarring such as scar massage, silicone application, etc. READ MORE
How long does local anesthesia last?
It depends on the medicine used for the local. Typically lidocaine last half to three hours and there are others that last several hours or more. READ MORE
Does hand surgery require general anesthesia?
There are several factors that determine the type of anesthesia that is used. I will say that a majority of hand surgery can be performed without general anesthesia. The common conditions such as trigger fingers, tendon repairs, carpal tunnel, fractures, cubital tunnel, arthritis reconstruction can be performed with local plus or minus light sedation, axillary block with or without sedation, OR WALANT which is wide awake local and no tourniquet. Sometimes general anesthesia is needed for longer cases or larger cases. This is something to discuss both with your surgeon and your anesthesiologist . READ MORE
Is a partially torn UCL of thumb serious?
I am assuming you are referring to the MCP of your thumb, not the IP joint. This is a gamekeepers injury or skiers thumb. There is normally some side to side motion, but it should not open more than 20-30 degrees. If it does on stress exam, there may be a stener's lesion that requires surgery. Have you had an MRI and/or a good examination of the thumb for stability? If there is minimal pain and minimal laxity, it is amenable to treat in a cast or splint. These small joint injuries take a long time to settle down, several months usually depending on your activity and sport level. If your doctor has examined you and feels this is a stable injury, it will heal on its own with protection. If any question of stability or severity, an MRI can be helpful. READ MORE
Do store-bought braces work for carpal tunnel?
The most important thing to understand is that carpal tunnel can be a spectrum from those patients with rare numbness and tingling and no night pain and no atrophy to those with constant numbness, waking multiple times a night and weakness and dropping things. If your numbness is not constant and your thenar muscles are working any type of short arm wrist splint can be helpful as a starting point. Often injections can be beneficial as well. Have you had a nerve conduction test/EMG to determine severity? READ MORE
What's the best way to treat trigger finger?
Trigger fingers can resolve on their own, they can be treated with splints (available online), and many patients will get fully better with a steroid injection into the tendon sheath. Surgery should always be last resort, but it is a very predictable and short procedure, often done with patient wide awake. READ MORE
How do cortisone injections work for carpal tunnel?
There are mixed feelings in the hand surgery community on steroid injection for carpal tunnel. I feel they are beneficial and i think they work by decreasing inflammation in the tunnel and alleviating pressure on the median nerve. There are studies to support they can solve the problem in those patients that have symptoms less than 6 months. I am concerned that you have had symptoms more than 5 years, have you had a nerve conduction /emg test yet? May be best to seek treatment from a hand surgeon to get an idea of options. https://www.assh.org/handcare/hand-arm-conditions/carpal-tunnel/ READ MORE
How can I heal a sprained finger?
It is important to have it properly evaluated. Many "simple sprains" or "jammed fingers" can turn into lifelong problems if there is a fracture involving the joint or subluxation or dislocation of the joint. Another common injury that starts out as a :jammed finger" can turn into a Boutonniere finger. Assuming that the X-ray is negative and the ligaments ( radial and ulnar collateral and the volar plate) are stable, early motion is helpful and controlling the swelling is critical. Some bad sprains do need surgery depending on the ligament (for example the Ulnar Collateral Ligament of the thumb or the Radial Collateral ligament of the index). Many can be supported with buddy strapping and early motion. Please seek out care if you have trouble making a full fist or any sense of instability and continued pain. READ MORE
What is the recovery time for "trigger finger?"
Is this your first trigger finger? have you failed a trial of a steroid injection and or a trigger splint at night? most commonly a trigger release is performed under straight local (wide awake with some numbing medicine in the palm) or under light sedation. It is important for the surgeon to ask you to make a fist to ensure no further locking in the operating room. Common post op protocol is a band aid or light dressing the next day and early motion. Depending on how stiff you are, one may benefit from some hand therapy but that is not commonly needed. If you need really good grip strength for your occupation or avocation it may be up to 6-8 weeks even thought it is a quick surgery , sometimes the recovery is longer than you expect. Please ask your doctor to try an injection or splint if not already READ MORE
My son is having pain in his hand after his surgery. What painkillers would you recommend?
Most hand fractures do not require long term pain medicine. Typically several days at most and often just tylenol plus or minus an anti inflammatory like motrin or alleve or advil. If has just been done, make sure his dressing or splint is not too tight and always communicate to your surgeon if there is a problem or increasing pain, as every day should get better not worse. READ MORE
Does Dupuytren's contracture need surgery?
It is important to know some other information , how old are you and what part of your hand is involved. It would be helpful to know the amount of contracture. Can you get your hand flat on the table still? Typically Dupuytren's does not cause pain. Perhaps there is another diagnosis. Assuming you have a contracture that is from Dupuytrens (is there a cord), many patients are treated without going to the operating room. Please research Needle Aponeurotomy and also Xiaflex injections and manipulations. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Dupuytrens but there is reliable treatment. All treatment options have a recurrence rate. Please see a fellowship trained hand surgeon and one can be found in your area using ASSH.org website. READ MORE
Trigger finger therapies?
Most definitely. There is literature to support the role of splinting and injections. I tell my patients that for a routine trigger finger, approximately half of the patients will get better (resolution) with one injections and of those that fail the first injection (meaning it got better, but returned at some time frame later) another half will get better with a second injections. If patients do not want to try an injections, I have them purchase a 15 $ trigger splint on amazon. Many triggers can resolve spontaneously as well. I would always suggest trying other options before surgery. This is the link for the trigger splint on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Handfix-Patented-Trigger-Natural/dp/B00K1MQXKS READ MORE
Can surgery be done for carpal tunnel?
To answer your main question, yes, surgery can be done for carpal tunnel. Typically, patients with carpal tunnel syndrome will complain of numbness and tingling in their thumb, index, and long fingers (and sometimes half the ring finger) and waking up at night time from their hand symptoms. Often in early cases, night time splinting with OTC splints can be very helpful. Often a nerve conduction/EMG test can confirm and determine the severity if splinting is not effective. In mild cases, a steroid injection can be administered. The worry in not seeking out a hand surgeon is that one can wait too long in obtaining the correct diagnosis, and atrophy can occur or worsen. Patients that present with carpal tunnel may often have associated trigger digits or tendonitis of their flexor tendons inhibiting them from closing their fist. Please consult a fellowship-trained hand surgeon given your description of symptoms. Surgery can be very successful in treating carpal tunnel. READ MORE
What is the treatment for hand osteoarthritis?
First of all, depending on your age, osteoarthritis of the hands is very common and often does not cause pain or problems with function. In my practice, the most common joints that I see involved are the DIP (the joint closest to the finger nail), however, the most common joint that people seek out help for pain is the base of their thumb. In the beginning, education, oral or topical medications, splinting both soft and rigid, and injections are common methods of treatments, Most people do not require surgery. For each of the joints in the hand and wrist, there are surgical options such as joint replacement or fusions. In the base of the thumb arthritis, we often perform a suspension plasty and less frequently a fusion. READ MORE
My nephew is born with webbed hands. At what age can he do his surgery?
I think it is important to have a consultation at this age, but most surgery can be delayed until the baby is older and larger, typically after one year of age. X-rays and clinical examination will determine if it is a simple syndactyly (just soft tissue connections) or a complex (bony) syndactyly. It is important for the physician to evaluate for other associated medical issues that can be seen with "webbed fingers" and also note that is more crucial to separate the border digits (i.e., ring and small and thumb and index) first as the shorter digits can tether the neighbor digit. Also, note that if there are more than two digits involved it will be done in stages and may require skin grafting. READ MORE
I have oil accumulation around my wrist. Can I remove this with surgery?
I am not aware of "oil accumulation " however there are multiple reasons to have a painful mass on the wrist. The most common one is a called ganglion which is a collection of synovial fluid that can feel quite hard and can sometimes be painful. It is important to have it evaluated especially if painful, often a simple aspiration can determine if it is a ganglion . Sometimes imaging studies are helpful such as an mri, if can't be aspirated or nothing is obtained from the aspirate. Assuming it is a ganglion , they can be removed surgically if conservative measures fail, such as spitting, aspiration and time. Most ganglions to not need surgical excision and can resolve on their own. It is critical to have it evaluated to determine the diagnosis. Other entities that present commonly with a painful swelling can be a giant cell tumor, extensor tenosynovitis, cmc boss, neuromas, and many others. READ MORE
My son jammed his thumb while playing tennis. Could there be a permanent damage?
It is critical that your son be evaluated by a hand surgeon, as there can be severe injuries to the soft tissue such as an ulnar or radial collateral ligament injury that may require immobilization or sometimes surgery. Often, a good clinical exam and stress exam is helpful. On occasion, an MRI to evaluate the soft tissue is indicated. If he is still having pain, please have him evaluated. Check for a local hand surgeon at ASSH.org. READ MORE
Is carpal tunnel surgery safe for a diabetic person?
If you husband is medically stable and blood sugar is under good control, it is typically safe to proceed with carpal tunnel release surgery. Has he failed conservative treatment with a night splint ? has he had a nerve conduction / EMG study ? READ MORE
Expert Publications
Data provided by the National Library of MedicineAreas of expertise and specialization
Faculty Titles & Positions
- Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Surgery University of South Florida 2014 - 2018
Awards
- Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society 1991 Temple School of Medicine
- John Lachman Prize in Orthopedics 1991 Temple University School of Medicine
- Physician of the Year 2016 Lehigh Valley Business Journal
- Sir John Charnley Award in Orthopedic Surgery 2008 Arthritis Foundation
Treatments
- Joint Problems, Bone Problems
- Trigger Finger
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Dupuytren's Contracture
Professional Memberships
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- American Association of Hand Surgery
Fellowships
- Thomas Jefferson University 1996
- Hand & Microvascula Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, PA 1996
Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors
- Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation
Dr. Jay S. Talsania MD's Practice location
Practice At 250 Cetronia Road Suite 303
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Nearby Providers
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Dr. Patrick J. Mcdaid MD250 Cetronia Road Allentown PA 18104![]()
Dr. Ashkon Razavi MD1621 N CEDAR CREST BLVD ALLENTOWN PA 18104![]()
Dr. Richard D. Battista M.D.250 Cetronia Road Allentown PA 18104![]()
Dr. Lawrence E Weiss M.D.250 CETRONIA RD ALLENTOWN PA 18104![]()
Dr. Dante M Palumbo D.O.250 Cetronia Road Allentown PA 18104
Nearest Hospitals
LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITALl
1200 SOUTH CEDAR CREST BOULVARD ALLENTOWN PA 18105SURGICAL SPECIALTY CENTER AT COORDINATED HEALTHl
1503 CEDAR CREST BOULEVARD ALLENTOWN PA 18104