About Galen S. Wachtman, MD

Galen Wachtman, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a specialized practice in surgery of the hand, wrist, and upper extremity, and microsurgery. He has a special interest in nerve compression (carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome), arthritis of the hand and wrist, minimally invasive upper extremity surgery, hand trauma and fractures, and complex upper extremity reconstruction. Dr. Wachtman completed both his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery and fellowship in orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). This combination of training in orthopedic and plastic surgery equips Dr. Wachtman to treat problems in both skeletal and soft tissues of the hand, wrist, and upper extremity. While at UPMC, Dr. Wachtman was a core member of their hand transplant team, participating in all eight transplants and personally caring for the first three recipients for 18 months. During his residency he was honored with membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, won the Charles E. Moore Award for resident teaching, and received a Research Fellowship from the Plastic Surgery Education Foundation for his work in composite tissue allotransplantation. In 2017, Dr. Wachtman was named by his peers to the Texas Super Doctor® Rising StarSM list for the third year in a row. He is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Wachtman was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was an Eagle Scout and the valedictorian of his high school class. He was an honors graduate of Pennsylvania State University and received his medical education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. When not in the hospital or clinic, Dr. Wachtman can often be found on his road or mountain bikes or exploring the Hill Country with his wife and three young children.