Dr. Galen S Wachtman, MD

Dr. Galen Wachtman has a focused practice on reconstructive surgery of the hand, wrist, and upper extremities, and microsurgery. He has a special interest in nerve compression (carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome), arthritis of the hand and wrist, and minimally invasive upper extremity surgery, hand trauma and fractures, and complex upper extremity reconstruction.

He was an honors graduate of Pennsylvania State University and received his medical education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He remained in Pittsburgh for both his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and for a fellowship in orthopaedic hand and upper extremity surgery. This combination of training in orthopedic and plastic surgery equips Dr. Wachtman to treat problems in both skeletal and soft tissues of the hand, wrist, and upper extremity.

While at UPMC, Dr. Wachtman was a core member of their hand transplant team, …participating in all eight transplants and personally caring for the first three recipients for 18 months. During his residency he was honored with membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, won the Charles E. Moore Award for resident teaching, and received a Research Fellowship from the Plastic Surgery Education Foundation for his work in composite tissue allotransplantation.

When not in the hospital or clinic, Dr. Wachtman can often be found on his road or mountain bikes or exploring the Hill Country with his wife and three young children.