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Carrie Swigart, MD

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
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Contact Info

Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

P.O. Box 208071

New Haven, CT 06520-8071

United States

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

Biography

Dr. Swigart trained in orthopedics at Yale-New Haven Hospital and did her hand fellowship at the CV Starr Hand Surgery Center at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City (now Mt. Sinai West). She returned to Yale after her fellowship and has been on faculty since 1997. She is currently an associate professor in the department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and the section chief of hand and upper extremity surgery.

Dr. Swigart sees patients of all ages for a wide variety of issues related to their hands, wrists and arms. These include traumatic injuries, workplace injuries, degenerative conditions and nerve compression syndromes. Areas of particular interest include Dupuytren's disease, thumb basal joint arthritis and wrist injury. Although patients may require surgery, other treatment options are often available and these may include hand therapy, splinting and steroid injection. "I believe in engaging the patient as an active participant in their care whenever possible. An engaged patient will always have an improved outcome no matter the treatment choice."

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Fellow
Roosevelt Hospital (1997)
Resident
Yale-New Haven Hospital (1996)
MD
University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Medicine (1991)
BA
Wellesley College, BioPhysics and Mathematics (1986)

Research

Overview

We are enrolling patients in a clinical study of the durability of repair of the pronator quadratus muscle after volar plate fixation of distal radius.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Fractures, Bone; Orthopedics; Palmar Plate; Wrist; Wrist Joint

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Carrie Swigart's published research.

Publications

2017

2016

2013

2012

2011

2009

2008

2007

2004

  • Foreword
    Abboudi J, Agin C, Barth R, Benson L, Belsky M, Borom A, Bienz T, Bishop A, Blazar P, Bothwell M, Brien E, Calandruccio J, Caputo A, Chang B, Ciocco R, Cohen M, Constantine K, Culp R, DaSilva M, Dell’Oca R, Feinstein W, Floyd J, Floyd W, Freeman E, Geissler W, Carlson M, Girotto J, Glickel S, Goitz R, Graham T, Greenlaw P, Haas A, House J, Jablon M, Kaplan J, Katz M, Kiefhaber T, Kozin S, Kuschner S, Ladd A, Lattanza L, Lewis D, Lichtman D, Mahoney J, Mair S, Martin C, Mih A, Moghtaderi S, Naranja J, Olsewski J, Osterman L, Palmer A, Peled Z, Peljovich A, Plancher K, Putman M, Rekant M, Rodin D, Ruggiero V, Sailer S, Schneider L, Schreiber J, Sharma S, Sheetz K, Siegel D, Slade I, Sotereanos D, Swigart C, Szabo R, Thomas B, Vahey J, Van Heest A, Varitimidis S, Viegas S, Wang A, Waters P, Watson K, Weinstein L, Wyrick J, Zelouf D. Foreword. 2004 DOI: 10.1055/b-002-66287.
    Peer-Reviewed Original Research

2003

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    New England Hand Society

  • activity

    Yale Medicine Compliance Champions Committee

  • honor

    DonJoy Award for Best Paper

Clinical Care

Overview

Carrie Swigart, MD, is a hand surgeon, and the chief of hand and upper extremity surgery for Yale Medicine Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation. Dr. Swigart has been caring for people of all ages with disorders and injuries of the arm, elbow, hand and wrist for more than 20 years. She has highly specialized expertise in treating people with traumatic injuries, workplace injuries, degenerative conditions and nerve compression syndromes.

“For hand surgeons, it’s all about function,” Dr. Swigart says. “I feel it is important to find out not only what is causing a patient’s problem with their hand, but also how it is impacting their life. That information allows me to best tailor a treatment that helps them achieve their goals.”

While some patients will need surgery, others are surprised that there are nonsurgical options that will solve their problems as well. Dr. Swigart has helped many people regain significant function with the help of hand or physical therapy, custom splinting or casting, or a steroid injection.

An associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Swigart says that mentors she met during her residency influenced her choice of hand surgery as a specialty. She was attracted to the opportunity to treat “a wide variety of issues and tissues,” including arthritis, traumatic injuries, and conditions of nerves, tendons and ligaments. “In hand surgery, we treat all things related to the hand and arm, and are not limited to a type of problem or age range,” she says.

Dr. Swigart is also conducting research that she expects will bring continued improvements to hand surgery; for instance, a recent project was a clinical study that looked at the durability of muscle repair in wrist fracture surgery. She has been included in annual lists of the best doctors in the region.

Clinical Specialties

Hand Surgery; Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Hand Surgery (Orthopaedics)

    Certification Organization
    AB of Orthopaedic Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2011
    Original Certification Date
    2001
  • Orthopaedic Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Orthopaedic Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2011
    Original Certification Date
    2000

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Clinical Inquiry Number
Appointment Number
Office Fax Number
Mailing Address

Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

P.O. Box 208071

New Haven, CT 06520-8071

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

    Academic Office

    47 College Street

    New Haven, CT 06510

  • Patient Care Locations

    Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.