Comprehensive Upper Extremity Program

Advanced Shoulder, Arm, Wrist & Hand Care

The collaborative group of highly skilled and innovative experts that make up our Comprehensive Upper Extremity Program at EvergreenHealth is your partner in reaching your health and lifestyle goals.

From professional athletes to those simply looking to live with more mobility and less pain, our orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, physiatrists (muscle and joint specialists) and radiologists specialize in tailoring care to help you get back to living and feeling well.

Our team is specialized in comprehensive shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and hand treatments, and we are trained in both advanced surgical and nonsurgical techniques. We treat a wide array of injuries and conditions, from carpal tunnel and arthritis to complex fractures and dislocations.

Care That Fits Your Needs & Preferences

Our team takes time to understand your symptoms and treatment preferences to develop a highly personalized care plan that's right for you. For patients with complicated or complex needs spanning different areas of expertise, our comprehensive group of doctors and surgeons make collaboration between shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand experts seamless – pairing you with the right specialist every step of the way.

Meet Our Physicians

As leading orthopedic experts in the Pacific Northwest and contributors to EvergreenHealth's recognition as a Healthgrades Top 50 Hospital for clinical excellence, our doctors and surgeons are highly experienced in providing quality care with compassion and respect. Find a doctor that's right for you and schedule an appointment by calling (425) 899-4810.

Michael Codsi, MD Expertise: Shoulder	Avi Goodman, MD Expertise: Hand, Wrist and Elbow	Yung Lee, MD Expertise: Shoulder, Arm, Wrist and Hand
John Manning, MD Expertise: Shoulder	Brandon Messerli, DO Expertise: Shoulder, Arm, Wrist and Hand	Joseph Woodward, MD Expertise: Wrist and Hand
	Ryan Zehnder, MD Expertise: Shoulder, Arm, Wrist and Hand

Innovative, Comprehensive, State-of-the-Art Care in One Location

Through the combination of best-in-class diagnostic, physical therapy, minimally invasive, and complex surgical care, our team has the most leading-edge technology available to create a fully comprehensive plan for your best outcome.

Located in one convenient location on the Kirkland campus, patient care is highly coordinated by our team of doctors working side by side to develop the most effective treatment for you, together.

Hear from Our Patients

Thriving at Home with Relief From Pain

New dad and Woodinville resident Christian Palacay has always led an active lifestyle.

Though he logs hours at his desk as a financial analyst for Boeing, the 38-year-old thrives on getting outside.

Whether it's for a long-distance run, competitive cycling race, hike in the woods, or workout at his local CrossFit gym, staying in shape has always been a big part of his life.

And as a father of two, being able to keep up with a fast pace has become even more important.

So when some nagging discomfort around his left rotator cuff began to feel more pronounced over time, he took careful notice.

Finding the Best Physician

Determined to find the best orthopedic specialist for his needs, Christian delved into researching accredited hospitals and providers until he found Dr. Michael Codsi of EvergreenHealth Orthopedic & Sports Care.

"I was really impressed by how active in the community he is. Everything I could learn about him online - from patient testimonials and his own videos on the EvergreenHealth website - was enough to convince me that I needed to meet him in person," Christian described.

Palacay's instincts were right. During their first meeting, Dr. Codsi clearly understood Christian's concerns and mapped out recommendations that gave him plenty of options for treating a torn rotator cuff.

"Though injuries like Christian's are fairly common, we understand the toll that living in pain can take on a person, and it's our goal to provide support and care from their consultation all the way through rehabilitation," Dr. Codsi explained.

Creating the Best Treatment Plan

Together, the two concluded that arthroscopic surgery was Christian's best option for regaining the strength and level of activity he desired.

Though the procedure itself is minimally invasive, recovery can take time - in Christian's case, about nine months.

"Treatment isn't always a quick fix, but my job is to take the stress of the procedure off my patients, so all they need to focus on is getting better," Dr. Codsi said.

Christian was diligent about his rehabilitation, but admits the process can be daunting.

"It can be frustrating when you're not progressing as quickly as you'd hoped, or when you can't do the things you could before surgery. But through it all, Dr. Codsi was my biggest supporter. His confidence in my recovery was the reassurance I needed."

"He's hands down the best surgeon I've ever worked with," Christian said.

Serving Up Comprehensive, Coordinated Care

While practicing his serve, 56-year-old tennis player, Aiden, injured his arm, resulting in pain through his shoulder and elbow that radiated down to his fingers. Aiden turned to EvergreenHealth shoulder specialist, Dr. Michael Codsi, who partnered with colleagues specializing in nerve damage, hand and wrist care to address what they would learn to be multiple issues with Aiden's shoulder and arm. Calling on nerve specialist, Dr. Ryan Zehnder, to perform a nerve test, the results showed that the nerves in Aiden's elbow were pinched and needed surgery by hand and elbow specialist, Dr. Avi Goodman.

Aiden was also experiencing weakness in his shoulder. To explore the cause of his discomfort, Dr. Codsi ordered an MRI which revealed that Aiden's rotator cuff tendon was the source of the pain. Discussing treatment options together, Aiden decided to move forward with surgery to first address fixing his nerve pain, followed by shoulder surgery to address Aiden's stressed rotator cuff.

Simultaneously, Dr. Codsi partnered with EvergreenHealth physical therapist specialists two floors down to get Aiden working towards recovery with rehabilitation before, during and after surgery to back on the tennis court, pain-free, as soon as possible. After nerve and rotator cuff surgery, Aiden's pinched his nerve was repaired by Dr. Goodman and after a few months of therapy, he is back playing tennis again. While Aiden's care was managed by multiple experts, our patient-centered approach means you're your doctor coordinates your care for you, partnering with the right specialists at the right time to help you reach your health goals.

Making the Team with Personalized Surgical Care

Max, a talented quarterback in his senior year of high school, took a nasty hit during the final game of the football season.

He had serious pain in his throwing shoulder and his thumb on the opposite hand, unable to throw the football or even hold it in his other hand.

Meanwhile, his dream of playing for his college team was on the line as he was expected to try out that summer and needed to be ready.

Max came to EvergreenHealth where surgeons Michael Codsi, MD, and Joseph Woodward, MD, saw him together and looked over his MRI with the radiologists.

They discovered Max had torn ligaments in his thumb and surgery and would require surgery on both. However, the surgeries would have to be planned precisely. Max couldn't have the surgeries done at the same time because recovery would be difficult with both arms in a cast and brace, but they also had to be scheduled so that he could recover and attend his college tryouts in the summer.

Dr. Woodward and Dr. Codsi came up with a plan that fit Max's schedule, deciding to operate on his thumb first since the recovery would be shorter than the shoulder. This way Max would be able to use his opposite hand while his shoulder recovered.

Following both surgeries, Max underwent physical therapy with EvergreenHealth specialists who kept Dr. Codsi and Dr. Woodward updated every step of the way. During one therapy session, Max felt he pushed his shoulder too hard, but he was able to walk over to Dr. Codsi's office to get it checked out.

Turned out he just needed a short break. Following his recovery, Max went on to try out that summer and made his college team thanks to the personalized, expert care from Dr. Woodward, Dr. Codsi and the rest of the EvergreenHealth team.