From the age of six, Dr Phumza Mshuqwana wanted to be a doctor and now she’s living her dream, and more.
Today she is one of South Africa’s top orthopaedic surgeons specialising in hands and loves the fact that she is improving her patients’ lives.
“Turning a doorknob, opening a can, lifting a mug of tea,” she said. “These daily actions are so common you may not even take note of performing them.”
Yet, for Mshuqwana, nothing is more fascinating than the intricate physical anatomy that makes such tasks possible.
The 37-year-old doctor specialises in the treatment of a broad spectrum of conditions affecting the hand, wrist, elbow and upper limbs, including arthritis, congenital abnormalities, burn contractures, peripheral nerve injuries and trauma injuries, among others.
“The anatomy of the hand comprises 27 bones and joints, 34 muscles, more than 100 ligaments and tendons, and countless nerves and blood vessels all surrounded by soft tissue. Any surgery to this area – and to the connecting wrist, arm and shoulder – is incredibly detailed and needs to be as precise as possible if hand and limb function is to be maintained or improved,” said Mshuqwana.
“I think of the hand as a second brain, it is a deeply complex structure that we require to function properly to complete many of even the simplest activities,” said Mshuqwana, who practices at Netcare N17 Hospital in Springs.
Growing up in the Eastern Cape as the only daughter in a family of five children, Mshuqwana says that from the age of six she knew that her calling was to one day be a doctor.
“All through my school career and years at university I worked with one goal in my mind – to qualify as a medical doctor.”
“There are many young women out there who have a dream to become a doctor, just as I did, and once you have found your niche, there is little that can compare to the sense of fulfilment in doing what you love and making a difference in the life of another,” she said.
Mshuqwana said the highly detailed nature of orthopaedic surgery in the hand, wrist and upper limb is precisely what drew her to the field, along with the deeply rewarding nature of her work.
“When you improve the functioning of a hand you improve the quality of a person’s daily life, and it is most rewarding to be able to see such outcomes in patients. At the same time, I find the intricacies of this area of anatomy fascinating – it requires a particular level of patience and focus, and once I had experienced it, I felt as though a switch had been flicked in my brain. I knew this was what I wanted to do,” she said.
Mshuqwana notes that not only is there a broad spectrum of pathologies that can affect the hands and upper limbs but that anatomy is not always necessarily the same, as is the case in paediatric patients with congenital abnormalities.
“As it is, babies and young children do not have the same anatomical structure as an adult, as they are still growing and their bones are not yet fully developed. You then have further differences in paediatric patients who were born with an abnormality, such as webbed fingers or an extra digit (finger).
General manager at Netcare N17 Hospital, Cobus Steenekamp, said Mshuqwana is a much respected doctor at the facility, whose highly specialised skill set is helping to improve hand and upper limb functionality across a wide range of patients. “She is a true example of excellence in her chosen field and it is wonderful to see the improvements she is able to make for so many members of our community,” he said.
The Independent on Saturday