With advanced subspecialty training in pediatric hand surgery, Deidre Bielicka, MD helps kids live fuller lives.
Expert care for complex health challenges can be lifechanging. That’s especially true in children because addressing problems during youth can enhance success and well-being for decades to come.
Children themselves understand this, says Deidre Bielicka, MD, a highly specialized pediatric hand and upper extremity surgeon with the Children’s Health network at RWJBarnabas Health and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “One of the reasons I’ve always liked taking care of kids is their desire and passion to get better,” she says. “They have a strong drive to work toward that goal.”
By helping children improve function in their hands and upper extremities, Dr. Bielicka can boost performance in countless activities. She explains how her specialized orthopedic care can make a difference.
What hand difficulties might children face beyond typical problems like sprains?
Congenital deficiencies, such as being born with missing parts, extra digits, web digits or other birth defects, are rare but something I’m passionate about taking care of. I handle all of those and anything else related to the hands or upper arms—including nerve injuries, burns and spasticity from conditions like cerebral palsy. That’s in addition to more typical problems such as ganglions, carpal tunnel conditions and sprains.
Can you give examples of highly specialized surgeries?
Working with Children’s Specialized Hospital, which is also part of the Children’s Health network at RWJBarnabas Health, in caring for cerebral palsy in the hand entails many techniques involving multiple structures, including bones and tendons—sometimes moving things around to compensate for deficiencies. Or if a child is born without a thumb, we can perform reconstructive surgery that rotates the index finger down so it moves more like a thumb. This complex procedure involves muscles, tendons, nerves and bones, and is often done with the help of a microscope. There’s a lot of nuance.
What does care entail beyond surgery?
Surgery wouldn’t be effective without physical and occupational therapists who help retrain muscles and raise function to a higher level. Sometimes care involves just therapy. It takes a whole team. I’ve worked at numerous children’s hospitals, and the therapists at RWJBarnabas Health Children’s Health network are some of the best I’ve seen.
How is your expertise different than most orthopedic surgeons’?
Subspecialists in pediatric hand surgery are very rare to begin with, but I also did an additional year of subspecialty training. Few orthopedic surgeons are trained specifically in pediatric hand surgery.
When should a family seek your care?
Any time care is needed involving the upper limb, including prenatally if an ultrasound finds an upper limb congenital abnormality. I also have training and experience in adult hand surgery, so I treat young patients up to age 26. It’s fulfilling to work with families and a privilege to be a trusted part of their world.