With over 20 years of experience practicing orthopaedics and hand surgery in the Annapolis area, Dr. Tom Dennis is well respected in the medical community. He has been named as a “Top Doc” by his peers for the third consecutive time, and this year, was honored to also be named as a “Top Doc” for the Eastern Shore. In addition, he was recently the recipient of the Capital's inaugural “Reader's Choice” award for Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Dennis is grateful to his fellow doctors and his patients for their support and is humbled to receive these honors.
Dr. Dennis started the Annapolis Hand Center two years ago with the goal of providing personalized patient-centered care. The Hand Center offers superior treatment to patients with upper extremity problems and is staffed with professionals handpicked for their individual expertise. Dr. Dennis' team includes an experienced orthopaedic nurse and a highly skilled occupational hand therapist who work together to ensure the patient's maximum potential is reached.
Recently, Dr. Dennis treated a young man who was wheelchair bound from a motorcycle accident. This patient had severe contractures and minimal use of his hand. He was unable to perform even simple activities. “We use our hands for so many things,” Dr. Dennis says, “but don't realize how much until there is a problem. It can be incapacitating.” Dr. Dennis was able to perform reconstructive surgery to give him back a functional hand and the patient was able to care for himself again. “To see how happy he was to be able to move his wheelchair himself was very rewarding for me,” says Dr. Dennis.
Patients seek out Dr. Dennis' care for a variety of reasons, including falls from monkey bars, carpal tunnel syndrome, tumors, fractures, and overused or damaged muscles, tendons, and nerves. Though Dr. Dennis' practice focuses on the care of the upper extremity, he and the Annapolis Hand Center have partnered with Bay Area Orthopaedics to meet all orthopaedic needs including sports medicine, joint replacement, spine care and pain management.
Dr. Dennis studied medicine and orthopaedic surgery at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed a fellowship in hand surgery at the University of Southern California before coming to Annapolis. He chose to focus in the area of hand surgery because it covers multiple fields, including neurosurgery, plastic surgery, and orthopaedics. Dr. Dennis was the first fellowship-trained hand surgeon to join Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he is the past Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery. He performed the hospital's first total elbow replacement and the first endoscopiculnar nerve decompression. Dr. Dennis continues to perform new and innovative techniques and cares for his patients using evidence-based medicine.
Dr. Dennis' passion for barefoot waterskiing allows him to understand the needs of the extreme sport and professional athletes that are his patients. Getting back in the game and performing at the highest level is important. Whether you are a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or spectator, getting you “back in your game” is our goal.
