Dr. Christopher Lovell Hankins M.D.

Plastic Surgeon

3726 DACOMA ST Houston TX, 77092 Show map

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About

Dr. Christopher Hankins is a cosmetic medicine and surgery specialist practicing in Pearland, TX. Dr. Hankins specializes in the enhancement of appearance. Improving aesthetic, symmetry and proportion are key goals in cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic medicine has nothing to do with these specific areas not functioning properly; therefore, this elective field solely focuses on aesthetics and anti-aging.

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Dr. Christopher Lovell Hankins M.D.

Dr. Christopher Lovell Hankins M.D.'s Expert Contributions

My Answers

Is burnt skin repair surgery an elective procedure?
If this is an old established scar, it would not likely qualify as an urgent procedure unless it was interfering with hand function and making it difficult to perform your job in your occupation. READ MORE
How long does it take to recover from hand surgery?
The answer depends on the degree of invasiveness of the surgery. For endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery, patients can usually return to work in one week, but it takes a full six weeks before twinges of discomfort occur when turning a door knob or starting a car, etc. to go away. READ MORE
How long is recovery after hand nerve surgery?
Assuming this is the repair of an injured nerve, the nerve will not regenerate much in the first 30 days, but afterwards, the axons will then begin to migrate past the site of repair at the rate of 1 mm per day. So the time that it takes to recovery is the distance of the nerve injury to the end of the extremity in mm + 30 in terms of days after surgery. Hope this helps. READ MORE
Will hand surgery fix the shaking in my right hand?
If you have an essential tremor, the chances are that the cause is in the central nervous system or due to a systemic disease. It is unlikely that surgery of the hand itself would resolve a tremor. It would be worthwhile to consult a neurologist in the case of an essential tremor. Thank you. READ MORE
Will hand surgery help arthritis?
In some cases, joint replacement surgery can be used to relieve the pain of arthritis. If the arthritis is in the base of the thumb, the removal of a flat bone at the base of the thumb known as the trapezium can give relief of the pain at the expense of a shorter thumb and less strength of thumb flexion. READ MORE
Can plastic surgery soften hand wrinkles?
Oftentimes placement of fat in the back of the hands will improve the quality of the overlying skin due to the presence of stem cells in the fat. The fat also rejuvenates the hands as the fat transfer revolumizes the hands and makes them look younger. READ MORE
Can a hand surgeon repair a torn off finger?
Yes this is sometimes possible provided that it was a clean cut and not an avulsion injury. In the latter case, the blood vessels are injured and replantation in the case is not usually successful. READ MORE
How to treat carpal tunnel syndrome?
The first treatment may be a steroid injection into the carpal tunnel, unless the carpal tunnel syndrome is advanced. In that case, an endoscopic carpal tunnel release is a time tested, minimally invasive procedure. This procedure has been shown in longitudinal studies to have significantly less pain than the open procedure for the first 6 weeks. READ MORE
How do you get rid of burn marks on your hands?
Fractional RF microneedling is a minimally invasive technology that involves the use of an array of very fine sterilized needles to create microscopic wounds at various predetermined depths in the dermis, without affecting the epidermis. The delivery of energy leads to the creation of an array of microscopic wounds in the dermis, interspersed between intact tissue. The direct thermal heating of the dermis results in new collagen production and subsequent dermal thickening. The presence of the intact epidermis and the surrounding dermal tissue results in rapid re-epithelialization and thus minimal downtime and risks. Microneedling is effective in the treatment of scars and pigmentation. You can learn more from this link https://www.pearlandpps.com/Secret-RF-Houston/ READ MORE
Is there surgery for hyperpigmentation on the hands?
IPL is very effective for solar caused pigmentation. You can learn more from this link: https://www.pearlandpps.com/bbl-ipl-photofacial-houston/ READ MORE
I am having pigmentation around my palm and hand. What could be the reason?
You should seek medical attention right away. You did not state the size of the lesion, but you would want to exclude an acral lentiginous melanoma. READ MORE
Are my symptoms a sign of nerve compression?
It is possible that this may be due to nerve compression. The most common nerve compression syndrome of the hand is carpal tunnel syndrome. This is characterized by intermittent numbness and tingling as you describe in the median nerve distribution. In lay terms, numbness of the thumb, index and middle finger and the thumb side of the ring finger. If it is of recent onset as in your case, conservative treatment of a steroid injection in carpal tunnel, away from the nerve and splinting are options. If the symptoms persist and progress, a confirmatory nerve conduction study followed by endoscopic carpal tunnel release would then be the treatment of choice. READ MORE
I have been diagnosed with trigger finger syndrome. What is the course of treatment for this?
Usually, one or two steroid injections into the flexor tendon sheath of the affected finger can be tried. If this fails, surgical division of the A1 pulley of the finger is the treatment. Since the pulley is expendable, there is no adverse effect on finger flexion. READ MORE
My daughter underwent a finger joining treatment using leeches. Will this cause a problem for her later in life?
Your daughter may have some residual cold intolerance or stiffness of the affected finger but this would be due to the original injury, not from the use of leeches. Leeches are often used in the case of venous congestion when there is insufficient venous outflow of the finger, buying time until venous outflow becomes re-established during the healing process. This is a common practice. The most likely complication from the use of leeches is infection from Aeromonas hydrophila. The incidence of infection is low. READ MORE
I have oil accumulation around my wrist. Can I remove this with surgery?
From your description, it sounds as if though you have a ganglion cyst of the wrist. Pain is, of course, an indication for surgical removal. READ MORE
My son jammed his thumb while playing tennis. Could there be a permanent damage?
Yes, this is possible. There may be damage to the cartilage of the joint that would not be detectable by x-ray. Without any additional information, it would be impossible to comment on the second question. READ MORE
I got glass stuck in my hand but had it removed. Why does my hand hurt even after removal?
That actually depends on many factors. Depending on the location and the character of the pain, it may be that you are still convalescing from the surgery, you could have an injury to one of the structures of the hand that escaped detection or you could have residual glass in the hand that is causing the pain. READ MORE
Is carpal tunnel surgery safe for a diabetic person?
Yes. Diabetes is actually one of the contributory causes of carpal tunnel syndrome as a chronically elevated blood glucose results in the deposition of glucose in the structure of the transverse carpal ligament that forms the roof of the carpal tunnel. The scientific term for the process is called glycation. The process of glycation causes thickening and increased stiffness of the ligament. As the amount of space in the carpal tunnel is limited, increased pressure on the median nerve may eventually become symptomatic, requiring decompression. Prior to surgery, your glucose management should be optimized to minimize the risk of infection. READ MORE
My child is 2 years old and loves to scribble with pencil and pens. Will it affect his fingers?
Most likely the reason you were told that was due to the possibility of an accidental injury to the child by a puncture wound from the pencil or pen. READ MORE
How long will it take for me to recover from a hand surgery?
This is a question you should ask your surgeon. It depends on what procedure and how to do it. READ MORE