Hand, wrist and elbow surgeon in Gran Canaria for international patients
The right hand surgeon is worth the flight.
I am Dr. Carlos Thams. I perform more than 600 hand, wrist and elbow operations a year in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Around 200 of them are complex, and many are referred to me by other orthopaedic surgeons. I consult in English, German and Spanish, and the first consultation can be online.
- More than 600 operations a year, around 200 of them complex
- European Board of Hand Surgery and three years at the Dr. Piñal hand surgery institute
- English, German and Spanish: first consultation online, 30 minutes
Why people travel for a hand surgeon
You can live reasonably well with a limp, or with one eye. When a hand fails, daily life gets much harder: dressing, washing, driving, working, lifting a grandchild.
Your hands are the most important tools you have, and you use them every day of your life. If an injury means putting them in a surgeon’s hands, look for the most meticulous one you can afford, wherever that surgeon works.
In my consulting room, hardly a week goes by without two or three patients who arrive after a failed operation, or with an injury nobody else wanted to touch. Some were told it could not be operated on. Some already travel from abroad.
What I operate on
Complex cases
- Revision surgery after a previous operation that did not work
- Nerve reconstruction in the hand and arm
- Wrist ligament tears, including arthroscopic tendon graft reconstruction of the scapholunate ligament
- Complex fractures of the wrist, forearm and elbow (Monteggia, Galeazzi)
- Tendon injuries
Common conditions, operated on with the same care
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Thumb base arthritis (rhizarthrosis)
- Trigger finger
- Tennis elbow
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of the hand
I do not operate on shoulders.
As far as I know, I am the only surgeon in the Canary Islands who performs the arthroscopic tendon graft for a complete scapholunate ligament tear. A few years ago, fewer than twenty surgeons in the whole of Spain performed it well.
David, a physiotherapist and basketball player, had a Monteggia fracture of the elbow and needed four operations before the problem was solved. He returned to the court and became his team’s top scorer. Bentejui “Bente” Santana ruptured his biceps shortly before a world championship. In October 2024 he won gold at the Grappling World Championships.
How it works if you live abroad
- Write to me. There are two ways, and they work differently. Email (carlos@cirugiamanocanarias.es) goes straight to my inbox and I answer it myself, in English. It is the best way to explain your case and attach reports, X-rays or MRI scans. WhatsApp (+34 660 128 193) is usually answered by my assistant, who has the phone, especially when I am in the operating theatre. She speaks Spanish and passes messages in English on to me.
- First consultation online. 30 minutes, €150, with me personally. I will tell you what I think you have, whether surgery makes sense and what result you can realistically expect. Sometimes I need imaging tests and a second consultation to complete the diagnosis.
- Proposal and plan. Once the diagnosis is clear, you receive a proposal with the fee. Before the operation you will have all the information: which operation it is, when it takes place and how long you need to stay in Gran Canaria.
- Surgery and first check-ups in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Most of my operations are day surgery: you do not stay overnight in hospital. Rehabilitation starts early. It matters as much as the operation itself.
- Back home. You leave with a medical report and rehabilitation recommendations for your physiotherapist. Most follow-up consultations can be online. After some operations I will recommend a check-up in person at some point in your recovery.
If something does not go as planned
Complications exist in every kind of surgery. With a surgeon who corrects, week after week, what went wrong elsewhere, they happen less often. When they do, he knows what to do.
Before you choose any surgeon, me included, ask two questions: how many operations like yours do they perform each year, and how many of them go wrong?
If one of my operations needs a revision, I do not charge my surgeon’s fee again. No patient should pay twice for the same solution.
Who will operate on you
I am an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon. Since 2009 my work has been surgery of the hand, wrist and elbow.
- Degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Zaragoza (2003).
- Specialist training in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology at the Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín.
- Surgeon at the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica y de la Mano, Dr. Piñal y Asociados, in Santander (2009–2012).
- Hand and wrist surgeon at HPS – Hospital Perpetuo Socorro, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (since 2013).
- PhD in Medicine and Surgery, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (2016).
- European Board of Hand Surgery.
- Member of FESSH (Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand), EWAS (European Wrist Arthroscopy Society), SECMA and SECOT.
- Spanish medical registration no. 35/35/06093.
Practical details
- Where. Consultations at HPS – Hospital Perpetuo Socorro, C/ León y Castillo, 407, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and at Recovery Sport Arucas.
- Surgery. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Most operations are day surgery, with no overnight stay in hospital.
- Getting here. Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) has direct flights from many European cities and is about half an hour by car from Las Palmas.
- Costs and insurance. This is a private practice. The first consultation costs €150. You receive an invoice and a medical report that you can submit to your insurer. Whether they reimburse it depends on your policy.
- Languages. English, German and Spanish. German is my mother tongue.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dr. Thams consult in English?
Yes. I consult in English, German and Spanish myself, without an interpreter. German is my mother tongue.
Who will answer my message?
It depends on how you write. An email goes straight to my inbox and I answer it myself. On WhatsApp you will usually reach my assistant, who has the phone, especially when I am in the operating theatre. She speaks Spanish and passes messages in English on to me.
Can the first consultation be online?
Yes. It lasts 30 minutes and costs €150, the same as in person.
What should I send before the consultation?
Any medical reports, X-rays, MRI scans or nerve conduction studies you already have. If you have none, book the consultation anyway.
How long will I need to stay in Gran Canaria?
It depends on the operation. Most are day surgery, so you do not stay overnight in hospital. Before the operation I will tell you how many days you need to stay on the island.
How much does the surgery cost?
It depends on the procedure. After the first consultation you receive a proposal with the fee. Sometimes I need imaging tests and a second consultation to complete the diagnosis first.
Will I have to come back for check-ups?
Most follow-up consultations can be online. After some operations I recommend a check-up in person at some point in your recovery. You go home with a medical report and rehabilitation recommendations for your physiotherapist.
Will my health insurance pay?
This is a private practice. You receive an invoice and a medical report that you can submit to your insurer. Whether they reimburse it depends on your policy.
What happens if the operation needs a revision?
It rarely happens. If it does, I do not charge my surgeon’s fee again.
Do you operate on shoulders?
No. Only the hand, wrist and elbow.
Tell me about your case
Email me, in English: it reaches my inbox and I answer it myself. Tell me what happened and attach any reports or scans you have.
or WhatsApp +34 660 128 193, usually answered by my assistant