LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It just wouldn't be fall without the traditional pumpkin on the front porch. But carving a pumpkin can be its own Halloween Horror story: one slip of the knife can mean severe injury to the hand, fingers, tendons, arteries and nerves - something the doctors at Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center have seen all too often.
Hand surgeon Dr. Tuna Ozyurekoglu is better known to his patients as "Dr. Tuna." He shows some of the best ways to avoid a major injury to your hand, arms or wrist while trying to carve a pumpkin.
When Carving Pumpkins:
Let adults do the carving. (Kids can draw designs on the pumpkin or help remove the pulp.)
Never leave kids unattended with carving tools.
Sharper knives are not necessarily better for carving. (Pumpkin carving saws are the safest tools for carving.)
Cut away from your body in small and controlled strokes.
Cuts and injuries can occur even when you put safety first. (Apply pressure to minor cuts using clean cloth to stop bleeding. If bleeding, stiffness or numbness persists for more than 15 minutes, or if the injury is visibly serious, seek emergency care.)
Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center
225 Abraham Flexner Way, Suite 700
Louisville, KY 40202
Emergency hand & arm care: 502-561-4263
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