Named today the Turkish Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Society, our society was founded in 1977 under the name of Hand Surgery and Reconstruction Society. Upon being officially founded, the following were appointed to the temporary board of directors: President Prof. Dr. Rıdvan Ege, Secondary President Prof. Dr. Merih Eroğlu, General Secretary Dr. E. Kaya Alpar, Bookkeeper Prof. Dr. Ayan Gülgönen and accountant Prof. Dr. Orhan Arslanoğlu. Our founder, Prof. Dr. Rıdvan Ege actively served as the General President of THUESS from 1977 until 2004.

During this period, big steps were taken not only for institutionalizing our society but also for providing further education for our colleagues. In 2004, after having resigned on his own will from his position as the society’s president, Prof. Dr. Rıdvan Ege was given the title of Honorary President. The boards of directors served under the presidencies of Prof. Dr. Ayan Gülgönen during 2004-2006, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Polatkan during 2006-2008, and Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Bayram during 2008-2010. Prof. Dr. Sait Ada is still serving as the president of the society.

Reviewing the progress of Hand Surgery in Turkey, one can see that Prof. Dr. Rıdvan Ege pioneered classical Hand Surgery applications in modern sense, Prof. Dr. Merih Eroğlu initiated the execution of training and application in separate Departments at Universities, and Prof. Dr. Ayan Gülgönen initiated the application of Hand Surgery and Microsurgery together.

In 1966, Prof. Dr. Ege expanded his Hand Surgery skills by studying with Dr. Carroll at Columbia University in New York, with Dr. Boyes at Southern California University in Los Angeles, and with Dr. Flatt in Iowa University. After returning to Turkey, he emphasized the importance of Hand Surgery applications in the universities he worked at, and therefore established the idea that Hand Surgery is a separate field on its own. Upon founding the Hand Surgery and Reconstruction Society in 1977, he served as the president for 27 years.

While working as a faculty member in Orthopedics and Traumatology in Ege University, Prof. Dr. Merih Eroğlu went to Columbia University in New York in 1970 where he was trained in Hand Surgery by Prof. Dr. Carrol. Upon returning, he founded the department of Hand Surgery as a sub-department of Orthopedics and Traumatology and initiated the training and application of Hand Surgery. Numerous surgeons applying hand surgery were trained in this institution.

After working with Prof. Dr. Carrol from Colombia University in 1970 and with Dr. Michon from Nancy Hospital Jeanne D’Arc in 1977, Prof. Dr. Ayan Gülgören, originally a plastic surgeon, pioneered microsurgery in Turkey. Prof. Dr. Gülgören, who applied the first replantation in Turkey in 1978, later on understood through her experiences abroad that these surgeries needed team work. Thus, she put together a large team of Hand Surgeons, which also included hand rehabilitation experts, in 1980 at Istanbul Private French Pasteur Hospital. Numerous surgeons coming from universities and training hospitals learned Hand Surgery and Microsurgery in this special institution and started to apply it at their own clinics.

Following the increase of the number of surgeons who were trained in the Hand Surgery and Microsurgery branches in Turkey and abroad, Hand Surgery proceeded to further develop in Turkey.

Today, there are about 15 Hand Surgery Discipline or Departments as well as special hand surgery teams and hospitals. With the Regulation of Specialization Training in Medicine, Hand Surgery was accepted as a side branch expertise; therefore these scientists are now able to train Hand Surgeons. According to this regulation, a 2-year period of training is required after Orthopedics and Traumatology or Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for specialization in Hand Surgery.

Our society holds the Congress of National Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery biannually in even years. Since 2006, Prof. Dr. Rıdvan Ege holds a Basic Hand Surgery Course each year. Our society is a member of FESSH and IFSSH.