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Specialties

Hand and Wrist Surgery

As hand and wrist surgeons, we understand that not all patients with hand and wrist problems require surgical interventions. The good news is that we have many successful, non-surgical treatments for most hand and wrist conditions. However, if surgery is necessary, you can trust our specialty trained surgeons to manage your condition with the highest level of expertise. We serve patients of any age and occupation—from the farm to the city—and often work with both students and athletes.

Highlights & Resources

  • Article

    Safe Hand and Wrist Movements

  • Article

    Wrist Care: Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Providers

  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Biography

    Charlotte Alexander, MD specializes in hand surgery. She is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is the Wood River Valley's only hand fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, and completed the noted Sterling Bunnell-Navy Hand Fellowship under the direction of David M. Lichtman, MD and John J. Niebauer, MD.

    Dr. Alexander served as director of Hand Surgery at the Residency Training Program at the Naval Medical Center in Oakland, where she held the rank of Captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy, and her medical awards include the Navy Commendation Medal.

    After serving 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, she moved to Sun Valley in 1998 and began seeing patients. She and her husband, Dr. Herb Alexander, opened Alexander Orthopaedics in 2002. Dr. Alexander has served as chairperson of the Medical Records Committee at St. Luke's Wood River.
  • Orthopedic Surgery

    Biography

    Jeffrey Boyer, MD received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Boyer completed a fellowship specializing in surgery of the hand and upper extremity. During his training he spent time in India studying microsurgery with experts in this field. Dr. Boyer holds memberships in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Orthopaedic Association, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Plastic Surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Orthopedic Surgery

    Biography

    Derek F. Ipsen, DO specializes in hand surgery and is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is retired from the Army having earned the rank of colonel, and served as an orthopedic surgeon in Germany, Afghanistan, Kuwait, as well as several posts throughout the United States, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. 

    Prior to his medical education, Dr. Ipsen earned his bachelor's degree in pre-med biology from Utah State University, graduating cum laude and earning recognition as a distinguished military graduate.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Biography

    Dustin I. Judd, MD is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand, wrist, elbow, and microsurgery. His areas of focus include nerve conditions (carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome); tendinopathies (trigger finger, De Quervain's tenosynovitis); arthritis (including thumb carpometacarpal arthritis); fractures; and ligament and other soft tissue injuries. Dr. Judd emphasizes conservative management of upper extremity conditions and has the expertise to treat these conditions surgically, when appropriate.

    Dr. Judd serves as medical director for hand and wrist surgery at St. Luke's. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Weber State University, graduating summa cum laude. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. He spent an additional year specializing in hand and microsurgery at the Joseph H. Boyes Hand and Microsurgery Fellowship at the University of Southern California.

    Some of Dr. Judd’s previous research includes evaluating hand and upper extremity injuries in rock climbers and new treatments for thumb arthritis.

    Dr. Judd is an avid runner and enjoys spending time with his family. He also volunteers in various capacities, including coaching youth baseball, basketball, and football teams.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Orthopedic Surgery

    Biography

    Kenneth T. Lindley, MD is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery. He also has expertise in wrist and elbow arthroscopy and complex wrist and elbow trauma, including fracture care, elbow replacement, and tendon and ligament injuries. Dr. Lindley believes in providing patients with information and assisting them in making informed decisions regarding their care, which in some cases may include non-operative management. His goal is to help patients achieve their pre-injury level of activity.

    Dr. Lindley earned bachelor’s degrees in zoology and chemistry from Weber State University, also playing on their Division I tennis team. He earned his medical degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where he also served as chief resident and provided medical support for the university's varsity football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and swimming teams. Dr. Lindley also completed fellowship training through the Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship at Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, North Carolina. During this time, he supported the varsity basketball and soccer teams at Campbell University.

    In his free time, Dr. Lindley continues to play tennis and also enjoys golf, basketball, and coaching his children’s basketball teams.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Plastic Surgery

    Biography

    Louis H. Poppler, MD, MSCI specializes in minimally invasive reconstructive surgery for patients with cancer, trauma, or birth differences. He has specific training to care for both adults and children. His goal is to help people feel whole again, so they can return to doing the things they love. This means treating you as a whole person, rather than just addressing the problem at hand. 

    Dr. Poppler will listen to you, considering your goals and struggles, to plan for an outstanding result. His dual plastic and orthopedic surgery training, coupled with extensive experience with nerve injury, reconstruction, and pain resolution, allow Dr. Poppler to approach any reconstructive challenge from multiple perspectives. He’ll form a solution specific to you that minimizes incisions, surgical trauma, and length of surgery while avoiding nerve injuries to minimize pain and recovery time, and maximize function.

    In addition to plastic surgery training, Dr. Poppler has completed fellowships in orthopedic hand surgery and microsurgical reconstructive surgery at the Mayo Clinic, and surgery for peripheral nerve injury and pain with surgical pioneer Dr. Susan Mackinnon at Washington University. Dr. Poppler has had the opportunity to travel all over the world to learn cutting-edge techniques and skills to better serve his patients. On these trips, he has connected with international experts to 1) refine his skills using a scope (a small camera inserted into the belly, a joint, or between tissues), which allows him to perform most operations through very small incisions, and 2) learn to use ultrasound to assess anatomy before surgery to more accurately diagnose problems, make many key surgical decisions before surgery, minimize a patient's time under anesthesia, and avoid complications from anatomical variations. Following the example of the Mayo brothers, Dr. Poppler continues to travel and learn. He recently received a prestigious award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand to travel to China to learn from talented microsurgeons taking care of adults and children with complex injuries of the nerves, hand, and body. 

    Dr. Poppler returned to Boise, his hometown, to start St. Luke’s reconstructive microsurgery program. Microsurgery (surgery with the help of a microscope) allows Dr. Poppler to borrow redundant tissue from any place on the body and reattach it in another area. This versatile technique allows him to replace bone with bone, muscle with muscle, nerve with nerve, fat with fat, and skin with skin, for a more natural outcome. 

    Dr. Poppler feels blessed to bring the skills he has learned all over the world home to Idaho. Dr. Poppler is an Eagle Scout and graduated from Timberline High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in diplomacy from Georgetown University, where he graduated with honors. He credits his diplomacy training with making him a great listener and helping him always keep an open mind. Dr. Poppler attended medical school at the University of Washington as part of the highly competitive Idaho WWAMI program. He has a master’s degree in clinical research from Washington University and continues cutting-edge research in the field of nerve injury reconstruction. 

    Dr. Poppler enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors with his family, hiking, biking, fishing, and skiing. He also enjoys performing research, learning, and writing about new techniques in reconstructive surgery. A firm believer in giving back, Dr. Poppler also travels on medical missions to help those who otherwise would not have access to specialty health care.

    Surgical Specialties

    • Breast reconstruction
    • Breast surgery
    • Hand and upper extremity reconstruction
    • Pediatric hand differences
    • Nerve injury or compression
    • Lower extremity reconstruction
    • Facial reconstruction
    • Cosmetic and aesthetic surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Plastic Surgery

    Biography

    Ketan Sharma, MD, MPH specializes in the entire spectrum of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has advanced fellowship training to help patients with breast cancer, hand and nerve injuries, brachial plexus injuries, and wounds resulting from cancer or trauma.

    Dr. Sharma was recruited to Boise to expand the reconstructive microsurgery program. These procedures involve transferring available and redundant tissue from one part of the body to reconstruct a critical defect in another part of the body, while reattaching blood vessels and nerves to restore form and function. Microsurgery has revolutionized the practice of reconstruction itself, and provides patients a wider range of reconstructive options with superior results. For example, certain breast cancer patients can have their breasts reconstructed with their own tissue which is more natural and more resistant to infection or radiation, while patients involved in severe trauma with wounds to their legs may avoid amputation. Dr. Sharma's other area of interest is brachial plexus injuries, and he performs nerve and tendon transfers to restore function so patients can regain use of their affected arm.

    Dr. Sharma received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University. He then attended medical school at Duke University, and during that time also obtained a master's degree in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He went on to complete residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University, where he trained under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Mackinnon, a world famous nerve specialist. He completed his training with an orthopedic hand and microsurgery fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Dr. Sharma has a keen interest in global health and global surgery. He helped build a breast cancer registry with Partners-in-Health / Zanmi Lasante in Haiti; worked with Operation Smile in Guwahati, India; and recently went on a medical mission trip to Madagascar where he helped children with congenital hand defects including fused fingers and missing thumbs.

    Dr. Sharma continues to engage in the academic community to stay on the forefront of cutting-edge care. He has published in some of the most renowned journals including Annals of Surgery, The Lancet: Global Health, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and the flagship journal of the specialty, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

    Dr. Sharma greatly appreciates Idaho's mountain culture. In his free time, he enjoys running and hiking.

    Surgical Specialties

    • Breast reconstruction
    • Breast surgery
    • Hand and upper extremity reconstruction
    • Pediatric hand differences
    • Nerve injury or compression
    • Lower extremity reconstruction
    • Facial reconstruction
    • Cosmetic and aesthetic surgery

    View a more detailed list of Dr. Sharma's surgical procedures

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Biography

    Jeremy P. Toomey, MD is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand, wrist, elbow, and microsurgery. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Montreat College and his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Nebraska/Creighton University Health Foundation and trained for one year through the Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
  • Hand and Wrist Surgery

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Plastic Surgery

    Biography

    Tyler R. Wayment, MD performs hand surgeries that include fractures, lacerations, and other medical conditions of the hand and wrist. He also offers expertise in a wide variety of cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures.

    Dr. Wayment earned his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. He performed his general surgery residency at North East Ohio University College of Medicine and went on to specialize in plastic surgery at North East Ohio University College of Medicine, Summa Health System. He completed a hand fellowship at Christine M. Kleinert Institute of Hand and Micro Surgery.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients