What objective criteria can guide your choice?
The hand is a complex organ whose treatment sometimes requires specific expertise. When specialist consultation or surgery is being considered, several objective criteria can guide the choice of practitioner or centre. The organisation of care, coordination between consultation, surgery and rehabilitation, and the capacity to manage emergencies are all important factors for best preserving hand function.
The hand concentrates many fine structures in a small space: 27 bones, numerous tendons, nerves and blood vessels. Damage to any of these structures can lead to significant functional impairment. Hand surgery is a sub-speciality requiring additional specific training after orthopaedic or plastic surgery training.
A surgeon specialising in hand surgery focuses exclusively on conditions and injuries of the upper limb: hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder. This specialisation enables the development of in-depth expertise in diagnosing and treating hand conditions, whether traumatic (fractures, tendon injuries, nerve damage) or degenerative (carpal tunnel, arthritis, tendinitis).
Hand surgery requires additional specific training after orthopaedic or plastic surgery. This sub-specialisation allows the development of in-depth expertise in treating complex hand conditions.
A surgeon who dedicates their practice exclusively to hand surgery develops extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of upper limb conditions, which can contribute to better functional outcomes.
Managing a hand condition is not limited to the surgical procedure. It requires coordinated organisation across several stages: initial consultation, further investigations, treatment (medical or surgical), post-operative follow-up, custom splinting if required, and specialist rehabilitation.
A centre that organises this coordination ensures continuity of care and facilitates the patient journey. For more information, visit our patient pathway page.
Certain hand injuries require rapid treatment to optimise functional outcomes: tendon injuries, nerve damage, displaced fractures, amputations. The availability of a specialist team for hand emergencies is an important factor.
A centre that manages specialist hand emergencies allows rapid assessment and treatment following trauma. For more information, see our page When to consult in an emergency.
Integration into a hospital provides access to a full technical platform: equipped operating theatres, specialist imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, MRI), laboratory, anaesthesia department, and the possibility of inpatient admission if required.
This integration also facilitates coordination with other medical specialities when needed (internal medicine, cardiology, anaesthesia) and enables comprehensive patient care.
Managing a hand condition often requires the involvement of several professionals: surgeon, splint specialist, physiotherapist. A coordinated organisation optimises functional outcomes and facilitates the patient journey.
Precise diagnosis and proposal of a treatment plan tailored to your situation.
Procedure in an equipped operating theatre with regular post-operative follow-up.
Coordination with a physiotherapist specialised in hand rehabilitation.
The Institut Européen de la Main is a centre specialised in hand surgery and upper limb surgery, located in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. The team focuses exclusively on conditions and injuries of the upper limb: hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder.
Specialist consultations enable a precise diagnosis and appropriate treatment to be proposed: medical treatment, splinting, injection, rehabilitation or surgery depending on the situation. If surgery is required, it is performed at Kirchberg Hospital, which has a full technical platform.
The IEM manages specialist hand emergencies in Luxembourg-Kirchberg: tendon injuries, nerve damage, fractures, amputations, bites. In an emergency, contact the secretariat immediately on +352 24 68 41 42.
The IEM has a splint specialist who fabricates custom splints when required (resting splint, post-operative protective splint, functional splint). Coordination with physiotherapists specialised in hand rehabilitation optimises functional recovery.
Institut Européen de la Main
9, rue Edward Steichen
L-2540 Luxembourg-Kirchberg
Integrated into Kirchberg Hospital, the IEM benefits from a full hospital environment with operating theatres, specialist imaging and anaesthesia services.
The hand concentrates many fine structures in a small space. A specialist centre has the expertise to assess and treat complex hand conditions, and organises coordinated care between consultation, surgery, splinting and rehabilitation.
Specialisation in hand surgery and upper limb, organisation of a structured care pathway (consultation, surgery, follow-up, rehabilitation), capacity to manage emergencies, and integration into a hospital with a complete technical platform.
Hand surgery is a sub-speciality requiring additional specific training after orthopaedic surgery. A hand surgeon focuses exclusively on conditions and injuries of the upper limb.
The IEM organises coordinated care: specialist consultations, planned surgery at Kirchberg Hospital, management of hand emergencies, custom splint fabrication, and coordination with specialist rehabilitation.
Yes, the IEM manages specialist hand emergencies in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. In an emergency, contact the secretariat immediately on +352 24 68 41 42.
Our team is available to answer your questions