Dr. Caggiano took a slightly nontraditional route on his way to becoming a hand surgeon. After graduating from Emory University, he moved to San Diego where he worked in a marina while earning a graduate degree in computer science. He went on to work for Qualcomm as a software engineer for 3 years. However, during a 7,000 mile boat delivery through Central America, he decided that a career in medicine was his calling. He and his wife moved back to the east coast where he earned a medical degree from Drexel University. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency under Dr. William Delong and subsequently completed a fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at Harvard University. He and his wife made the move from Boston to San Luis Obispo and couldn’t be happier to be living on the Central Coast!
Dr. Caggiano has dedicated his career to surgery of the hand and wrist. He believes that the surgeon is responsible for providing the patient with all the necessary information to help the two make informed treatment decisions together. He treats acute fractures and soft tissue injuries as well as chronic conditions such as arthritis, nerve compression, and other disorders of the hand and wrist. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), the American Association of Hand Surgeons (AAHS), and is Board Certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS). He has published original research as well as chapters and review articles in the Journal of Hand Surgery, Hand, Hand Clinics, and Orthopedic Clinics of North America. He has presented at the national meetings of the AAOS, ASSH, and AAHS.
Outside of work, Dr. Caggiano enjoys traveling, being on the water, and spending time with his wife Jill, and their two dogs, Larry and Walter. You can view his CV here.
Suggested Reading:
Dr. Caggiano HealthBreak Videos:
Thumb Arthritis
Education
08/2016 - 07/2017
Harvard Orthopaedic Hand Fellowship
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
09/2016 - 09/2016
Basic Microsurgery Course
Columbia University, New York, NY
07/2011 - 06/2016
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency
St. Luke!s University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA
08/2007 - 05/2011
Doctor of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
05/2006 - 05/2007
Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
06/2002 - 12/2003
Master of Science, Computer Science
University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
08/1995 - 05/1999
Bachelor of Arts, Economics and History
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Professional Licensing and Certification
11/2020
ABOS Subspecialty Certification in Surgery of the Hand
08/2019
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part II Examination
08/2017 - 08/2019
California Radiography and Fluoroscopy Operator and Supervisor
05/2017 - 08/2020
DEA Schedule II, IIN, III, IIIN, IV & V Practitioner License
03/2017 - present
California Physician and Surgeon Medical License
08/2016 - 07/2017
Massachusetts Limited Medical License Caggiano, MD Page 2/5
07/2016
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part I Examination
08/2013 - 08/2016
Pennsylvania Medical Physician and Surgeon, Unrestricted
09/2013 - 08/2016
DEA Schedule II, III, IV & V Practitioner License
03/2012 - 04/2017
Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Basic Life Support
Professional Experience
09/2017 - present
Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon
Central Coast Orthopedic Medical Group, San Luis Obispo, CA
01/2020 - present
Medical Executive Board
Central Coast Orthopedic Medical Group, San Luis Obispo, CA
01/2021 – 12/2021
Managing Partner
Central Coast Orthopedic Medical Group, San Luis Obispo, CA
04/2015 - 07/2016
Staff Physician
LifeCare Hospitals of Chester County, West Chester, PA
12/2015 - 07/2016
Consultant
MedTools Corporation, New York, NY
Previous Employment
05/2007 - 08/2007
Software Engineer
University of Pennsylvania Law School Library, Philadelphia, PA
06/2004 - 05/2006
Software Engineer
Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
12/2003 - 06/2004
Navigator, Crew Member
S/V Anissa, San Diego, CA
06/2003 - 12/2003
Software Engineering Intern
Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
02/2000 - 09/2002
Manager
Seaforth Boat Rentals, San Diego, CA
09/1999 - 02/2000
Research Associate
National Search Associates, Carlsbad, CA
Professional Associations
07/2011 - present
Candidate Member
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, IL
01/2013 - present
Candidate Member
American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Chicago, IL
01/2018 - present
Active Member
American Association for Hand Surgery, Beverly, MA
06/2013 - 05/2016
Candidate Member
Orthopaedic Trauma Association, Rosemont, IL
12/2014 - 01/2016
Resident Assembly Delegate
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, IL
Committee Membership
08/2013 - 08/2016
Website Volunteer Committee
American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Chicago, IL
09/2013 - 08/2014
Pain Process Improvement Committee
St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA
07/2011 - 06/2012
Orthopaedic Process Improvement Committee
St. Luke!s University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA
Personal and Community Involvement
11/2017 - present
Volunteer
Central Coast Grown, City Farm SLO, San Luis Obispo, CA
09/2008 - 05/2011
Peer Mentor, Peer Advisory Program
Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
08/2008 - 06/2009
Coordinator, Med-Scholars Program
Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
05/2006 - 11/2007
Volunteer Educator
CitySail Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
01/2005 - 02/2006
Emergency Department Volunteer
Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, CA
Caggiano, MD Page 4/5
12/2003 - 06/2004
Sailed 41"!sailboat from San Diego to Miami via the Panama Canal
S/V Anissa, San Diego, CA
Publications
Caggiano NM, Harper CM, Rozental TD. Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Fracture- Dislocations. Hand Clin. May 2018; 34(2);149-165
Christensen JM, Caggiano NM, Giladi AM, Iorio ML. Median Nerve Injury After Removal of Subdermal Implantable Contraceptive. Hand. May 2018; 13(3);NP6-NP9
Caggiano NM, Kaplan SJ, Nelson DL, Matullo KS. Wrong Bone Excision in Hand Surgery. Hand. September 2017; 12(5);467-470
Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Endoscopic Cubital Tunnel Release. In: Atlas of Endoscopic Plastic Surgery, Raposio E (ed.). Springer International Publishing. 2016; 97-107
Caggiano NM, Fegley MW, Matullo KS. Patients’ Preferences Regarding the Delivery of Healthcare in a Hand Surgical Practice. Hand. December 2015; 10(4);785-788
Caggiano NM, Avery DM, Matullo KS. The Effect of Anesthesia on Non-Surgical Operating Room Time. J Hand Surg Am. Jun 2015; 40(6):1202-9
Avery DM, Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Thumb: A Comprehensive Review. Orthop Clin North Am. Apr 2015; 46(2):281-292
Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Carpal Instability of the Wrist. Orthop Clin North Am. Jan 2014; 45(1):129-140
Kancherla VK, Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Elbow Injuries in the Throwing Athlete. Orthop Clin North Am. Oct 2014; 45(4):571-585
Conference Presentations
Caggiano NM, Nelson DL, Kaplan SJ, Matullo KS. Wrong Bone Excision in Hand Surgery.
- Electronic poster presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, September 2016.
Caggiano NM, Avery DA, Matullo KS. Concurrent Ipsilateral Supraspinatus Weakness in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis.
- Poster presentation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 2015.
Caggiano NM, Avery DA, Matullo KS. The Effect of Anesthesia on Non-Surgical Operating Room Time.
- Electronic poster presentation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Hand Surgery, January 2015.
Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Does Giving Patients Pre-Operative Hand Therapy Instructions Affect the Need for Post-Operative Hand Therapy?
- Electronic poster presentation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Hand Surgery, January 2015.
- Electronic poster presentation at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, September 2014.
Caggiano NM, Auchter SP, Matullo KS. Outpatient and Surgical Case Volume Before and After Adoption of an Electronic Medical Record System.
- Electronic poster presentation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Hand Surgery, January 2015.
- Poster presentation at the 2014 Philadelphia Orthopaedic Trauma Symposium, June
Caggiano NM, Fegley MW, Matullo KS. Patients’ Preferences Regarding the Delivery of Healthcare.
Poster presentation at the 2014 Philadelphia Orthopaedic Trauma Symposium, June 2014.
Other Research Activities
Kancherla VK, Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. Utility of Electrodiagnostic Studies in the Surgical Treatment of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment. Submitted for publication to Hand.
Caggiano NM, Matullo KS. The Association between Pre-Operative and Post-Operative Hand Therapy.
Caggiano NM, Auchter SP, Matullo KS. Outpatient and Surgical Case Volume Before and After Adoption of an Electronic Medical Record System.
Caggiano NM, Black JD, Nwachuku CO, De Long, WG. Tip-Apex Distance with the Cephalomedullary Device: Does 25mm Still Matter?
Caggiano NM, Chen S, Oxfeld GM, Carolan GF. Incidence and Radiographic Markers of Posterior HAGL Lesions.
Caggiano NM, Karam JA, Burns RK, Eakins JS. Do Autopsies Tell the Tale? A Systemic Review of Autopsy Impact.
