Doctor Profile: Alfred V. Hess, MD

Dr. Hess: I think that patients can expect, when they come and see me, to talk to just a normal person in a normal way about their problems. Orthopedics in general is instant gratification for the surgeon because a patient comes to see you, and they’re in pain. They want an answer to their pain. If you can give them relief, then that’s instant gratification. It’s a nice field to be in. It’s really healing well, okay?

Female Respondent: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dr. Hess: Make a fist for me. Very good.

Female Respondent: He’s incredible. This whole experience was wonderful. The institute where they did the surgery, they were fabulous. He’s been great. Everybody’s been super.

Dr. Hess: It’s all good.

Female Respondent: Thank you so much.

Dr. Hess: It looks good. Give it time.

Female Respondent: Okay.

Dr. Hess: It may get all the way better, you don’t know.

Female Respondent: Right.

Dr. Hess: I think you want to try to limit the amount of surgery that you do in every patient. (01:00) We exhaust all the non-surgical measures first before treating it. We treat tons of that, surgically and non-surgically. But that’s the philosophy. Alright, it’s this thumb.

Female Respondent: He explained that it was trigger thumb and that hopefully the injection will solve my problem.

Dr. Hess: Let’s give that three weeks, see how it does. And if in three weeks you’re okay, then you’re fine. You don’t have to come back and see me. Do this for me then, put your hand up here.

Female Respondent: I feel I’m in very good hands with Dr. Hess because he cares about his patients.

Dr. Hess: Let’s get this MRI. I want to know what’s going on first, okay? Always my ultimate goal is for the patient to leave me smiling (laughs) and saying, “Thank you because you made my life better.”

Female Respondent: I feel very confident he can solve my problem.

Female Respondent: I was in very good hands with Dr. Hess. Very caring. Yes.

Female Respondent: If you have any issues with your hand, Dr. Hess is really the best.