Cheryl A. Sturgis, MSPAS, PA-C

I enjoy the precision and innovation of vascular surgery. It is gratifying to treat my patients with today’s advanced technology to help them make a complete recovery and achieve their goals. Part of my job as a physician is to do research that helps other vascular surgeons improve the treatments they offer their patients. In addition to being a surgeon and researcher, I train our residents and fellows in vascular surgery. It is personally and professionally rewarding to mentor our trainees and watch their growth as surgeons.

Orthopaedic surgery is among the most common types of major surgery in the United States. Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Orthopaedic team's attention to patient-centered care, investment in outcomes measurement as well as drive to reduce complications motivated me to join them as their medical consultant focusing on perioperative care. I am here to ensure that our patients are in the best possible health to have their surgery. I partner with our patients to optimize their health and to plan their perioperative care so that they can achieve their desired outcome from their surgery. My goal is to ensure that a patient's reason for having surgery (for example, to lessen pain, improve function, treat an infection, prevent a fracture, or treat and remove tumor) is achieved with the least possible disruption to their life. I believe healing starts with being kind to each other. My priority is to provide kind, compassionate team-based care to help ensure the best outcomes for our patients.

My specialty of orthopaedics and hand surgery allows me to treat a wide diversity of conditions and age ranges (from newborn to geriatric) and to make a positive impact in the lives of the people who come to me for care. I bring a wide breadth of knowledge and experience, sound judgment and common sense to the process of choosing the best care for the patient’s condition. After providing a thorough and honest explanation of their condition, I listen to the patient’s goals and concerns, engage their family members in the discussion, and then present all reasonable treatment options and my recommendations. I have a great depth of experience in treating simple and complex hand problems and have been practicing in a tertiary clinical setting for more than 25 years. I do research in and teach about the conditions that I treat. I have experience teaching many of the surgical techniques that I practice to other hand specialists nationally and internationally. I will never recommend surgery that I don't believe will significantly improve the outcome, but I don't hesitate to recommend a non-surgical treatment if I believe it is as good as surgical options. My passion for working with hand and wrist disorders is renewed each time I can help a patient alleviate their pain, restore their functionality and improve their quality of life. Hearing that I’ve helped changed a patient’s life for the better is extremely rewarding,