Locations
Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin
Austin, TX
About
Bio
I am a board certified orthopaedic hand surgeon with a certificate of added qualifications in hand surgery. I am a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. I have been devoted primarily to the treatment of the hand, wrist and upper extremity since 2004. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, snow skiing and fitness.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Hand Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Doctor Q&A
50 Answers
14 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Tennis elbow: Tennis elbow is actually a condition of the wrist and finger extensor attachments onto the elbow. It is actually described as more of a degeneration ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Months: Tennis elbow can be a rather discouraging diagnosis. Luckily very few people need surgical treatment of their tennis elbow. However, the down side i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes and no.: There is no direct connection between raynaud's. However, raynaud's is commonly associated with inflammatory conditions that can predispose one to tr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Hard to say: This would be difficult to say without more information or a physical exam. This could be anything from a nerve compression like carpal tunnel syndro... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Hard to say: If your symptoms are associated with numbness, it could be just too much pressure on a nerve from overnight. However, bruising would be unusual in th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Inflammation: This could be any number of things. From your description and your age, it could be some type of inflammation in your joints. I would recommend bein... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 63-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Probably: It is not uncommon to develop carpal tunnel syndrome after a wrist fracture. If this is not addressed at the time of the initial surgery and continue... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Hard to say: Its impossible to say with the amount of information given. I would recommend you see a health care professional.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
No: There is no evidence in the peer review literature that touch screen or tablet use causes carpal tunnel syndrome. If you feel you are developing carp... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Few: Most often there are benign incidental findings on mri. If they are large enough, they can restrict motion and even less often cause pain. In most c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Difficult to say: This would be difficult to say. Normally, carpal tunnel syndrome is associated with numbness in the fingers more than pain. Arthritis can develop in... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Difficult to say: This could be a couple of things. Normally when something is turning blue, you consider vascular pathology. Most commonly, this is something called ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Probably not: It sounds like you are describing a classic trigger finger. This is a condition where a nodule/swelling at the tendon sheath can have trouble moving ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Close to 100: The closer to 100, the better. Most consider optimal above 92.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Blood contact: Hepatitis b is transmitted by blood contact. It would be virtually impossible to transmit by kissing unless both had open, bleeding or draining sores... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes: Normally tennis elbow is painful at or near the bony prominence at the outside (lateral) part of the elbow, known as the lateral epicondyle. Tennis e... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Braces variable: The brace you are describing is called a counterforce brace and they actually have a pretty low response rate. So, you are not alone in your frustrat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Needs xray: There are many cases where people believe that they have "sprained" a finger only to find out that it was actually a break. Some of these breaks coul... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 65-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Common: Unfortunately, this can be a common occurrence after a wrist fracture. The prominent ulna can be a result of two issues. First, malalignment of the ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Which joint?: Depends on which joint it is. This could be anything from a small benign cyst to a bony exostosis or bone growth. If it is tender or is growing, i w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Swelling: Swelling is very common in finger injuries and can last much longer than the symptoms of the injury itself. The swelling can take months to go away. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Not very likely: Tendon ruptures do happen, but are rather rare. Treatment depends on which tendon was ruptured and where it was ruptured. If you are concerned about... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Soon: These should be relatively painless. If they are causing more than just occasional soreness, i would get in to see whoever was responsible for puttin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Need an xray: It is difficult to say whether you have a broken finger without getting an xray. Your finger could have ligament damage or have a bone contusion as w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Possibly not related: Hand numbness and tingling can often be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. If you are starting to experience hand numbness, it may or may not be relat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 54-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Need reevaluation: This could be any number of things. It is not unheard of to have tennis elbow pain despite surgery. I would recommend a reevaluation. If it is stil... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Difficult to say: If its been 3.5 months, i would recommend being evaluated by a health professional. However, this could be some type of ligamentous injury like a ucl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Neither!: If you are comparing white rice and normal flour based pasta, the answer is neither. They are both very high in easily digestible carbohydrates that... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Nerve injury: After a sharp penetrating injury like a knife, it is not unusual to have cut a nerve. If the injury is on the top (nail side) of the finger, then it ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Maybe: It is not uncommon for weight to fluctuate by a few pounds. This can be caused by variation in the amount of water weight you are carrying. Weight c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Difficult: Losing weight can be very difficult. First, be careful of "meal replacement" shakes and such. Oftentimes, they do not provide enough calories. Seve... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 71-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Thrombophlebitis: Although there is a condition called thrombophlebitis that can cause painful veins, it would be quite rare for this to happen on the top (dorsum) of t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes and no: Demyelination refers to damage to a nerve that causes the myelin sheaths (which help conduct electricity faster along nerves) to either shrink or go a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Possible infection: If you get redness and swelling around where you have a splinter, the first concern is the beginning of an infection. I would recommend an evaluation... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Bracing can help: First, i would recommend an evaluation by a health care professional. There are a number of other diagnoses that can be confused with carpal tunnel s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
This: Could be several things. Do you notice any changes in the nail besides the pain. Is there discoloration or ridging of the nail? This can be a glomu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes: It is quite rare but possible for a nerve injury to occur during carpal tunnel release surgery. It is also possible for the nerve to feel slightly hy... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Be careful: If you are using weights, start with low weight. Be very mindful of your wrist position. Your wrist needs to be in neutral while lifting weights and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Indirectly: Diabetes is a leading cause for peripheral neuropathy and compressive neuropathies like carpal tunnel syndrome. I would recommend an evaluation by a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Common: Itching is a common complaint when taking percocet. If the itching is something that can't be ignored, you could either take benadryl, (diphenhydrami... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Inflammation: This sounds like some type of inflammation in the joints. There are a large number of causes of inflammation from food reactions to inflammatory arth... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes: As long as you are not doing striking and practicing flexibility and forms, you should be fine. However, its probably best to discuss this with the d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Radiculopathy: Your pt is referring to a condition called radiculopathy where a nerve root in the neck is irritated or compressed causing symptoms in the arm or hand... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Yes and no: It depends entirely on what you are doing the therapy for. There are some conditions that don't respond at all to therapy over the long term, such as... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Very little: I would recommend very little wrist exercise other than minimal range of motion exercises until you have confirmed that the scaphoid has healed. Timi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Hard to say: It would be very difficult to diagnose this without an examination so i will begin by saying that you might be best served by having this evaluated by... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Splint: Mallet finger is treated with 6 weeks of splinting. Tumbling is not recommended during splint wear due to the high likelihood that the splint will co... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Compression: Most likely, this is due to some type of nerve compression or peripheral neuropathy. The most common of these is carpal tunnel syndrome. I would rec... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
>400IU: Current recommendations for individuals under 12 months is at least 400iu a day. Between 1 and 70, recommended iu is 600 and then 800 over 70. Howev... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gregg Vagneranswered
Hand Surgery 26 years experience
Many: There are many causes of tremulous hands. Very few causes actually have to do with the hands themselves. There are many types of tremors with differ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
87
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Vagner is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Vagner is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Nerve pain is a result of damage done during anesthesia. We have seen many doctors but no relief to debilitating pain.
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! It was taken out and moved to more comfortable place....as comfortable as they can get I guess....lol
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Its the joints closer to the end hand
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Baylor College of Medicine, TX
Graduated 1997MD
Residency
Baylor College of Medicine
Awards
Distinguished Surgeon of the Year, 2010-2011, Austin AORN
HealthTap Founding Doctor
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less
