A: Dr. Ziv is a board-certified, hand fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in problems of the hand, wrist and elbow. While he does not perform elective surgery on body parts such as the shoulder or knee, he is happy to take a first look at your shoulder pain or sprained ankle. Some of the common problems treated by Dr. Ziv include trigger finger, tendonitis, wrist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, DeQuervain’s tendonitis, wrist pain, thumb arthritis, finger arthritis, ulnar nerve entrapment (cubital tunnel syndrome), lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), bursitis, fractures of the hand, wrist and elbow, and cut nerves or cut tendons in the hand or wrist.

A: It is rare for Dr. Ziv to send a patient to a University hospital such as USC or UCLA for further treatment. Hand problems he does not treat include congenital deformities of the hand (birth defects), severe burns requiring surgery, severe hand infections requiring inpatient hospitalization, and tumors of the hand or wrist which appear to him to be malignant. Chronic conditions involving the fingernails such as fungal infections, or problems affecting the skin of the hand are best treated by a dermatologist.

A: Dr. Ziv is contracted with Medicare, all PPO insurance plans such as Blue Cross PPO, Blue Shield PPO, Aetna PPO, Cigna PPO and many others. He is contacted with many HMO plans (referral from your general doctor is required) including Health Care Partners, Regal, Lakeside, Providence , Preferred IPA, and UCLA Medical Group. (Remove and soon UCLA IPA.) We do not participate in the Medi-Cal program.

A: Dr. Ziv is contracted with most Workmen’s Compensation companies, however referral from the insurance carrier is required as well as approval for the specific part of the body injured. Workmen’s Compensation transfers are only accepted on a case-by-case basis.

A: Virtually all of the surgeries that Dr. Ziv performs are done on an outpatient (same-day) basis. Dr. Ziv performs surgery at West Hills Surgery Center, Specialty Surgical Center of Thousand Oaks, Specialty Surgical Center of Encino, and Encino Plaza Surgery Center. Providence HMO patients will likely have their surgery at Providence-Tarzana hospital. Motion Picture Network patients will have their surgery at Specialty Surgical Center of Encino.

A: Dr. Ziv spends approximately two-thirds of his time in the office and one-third performing surgery. Approximately 80-90% of his patients are treated without surgery. Nonsurgical treatment options are not appropriate for every patient. Some of these options include physical or hand therapy, bracing, oral or topical medication, casting, or corticosteroid injections. Dr. Ziv is trained in and has utilized the new, non-surgical Xiaflex treatment for Dupuytren's contracture.

A: Dr. Ziv has been in full-time practice specializing in hand and elbow problems in the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys since 2004. He was the only hand specialist at the Center for Orthopaedic Specialists from 2004 to 2014, with offices in West Hills and Westlake Village. After volunteering for deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army in the fall of 2014, he spent 4 months there with a Forward Surgical Team at FOB Shank, Afghanistan. Dr. Ziv started a new practice in January 2015, Valley Hand & Orthopaedic, with offices in Van Nuys, Thousand Oaks, and Valencia.

A: Many hand patients will require therapy with a occupational therapist, certified hand therapist (CHT) or physical therapist. There is an excellent hand therapy group, VOSA Hand Therapy (www.vosahandtherapy.com) on the 5th floor of our Van Nuys building. Dr. Ziv will provide you with a prescription for therapy if he thinks it will help. Therapy location is often determined by your insurance company.

A: These are available on our website under the “Forms” tab.

A: Most fracture and postoperative patients are provided a enough medication and a refill which should last throughout their treatment. New Federal laws just enacted Jan 1, 2015 make obtaining refills for narcotic medication more difficult. In most cases a new written prescription is required, not a telephone renewal. For this reason please contact our office at least 3 days before the medicine is needed (and by Thursday morning if the medicine will run out over the weekend). With the new regulations we cannot refill narcotic medication over the phone on evenings or weekends. Patients who require medication above and beyond what is expected for their diagnosis will be referred to a pain management specialist.

A: We can fill out the paperwork, but need three working days. Most California State Disability forms (SDI) can be filled out by the patient and signed by our office all online. This is the link: http://www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/SDI_Online.htm . There may be a fee for some non-state disability forms.