Michael J Forseth, MD

Expert Care for the Hand, Wrist, and Upper Extremity

I like putting things back together. I’m an upper extremity surgeon focusing from the upper arm all the way to the fingertips. I specialize in traumatic injury, sports-related injuries, hand and wrist overuse injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger, microsurgery, and nerve reconstruction for both the upper and lower extremities.

Dr. Michael Forseth’s Teaching Experience

In addition to seeing patients in the clinic and performing surgery, I teach at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, both medical students and residents. My goal is to help train and mentor physicians who are early in their careers, so that our field advances, and orthopedic surgery as a whole gets better and better.

Dr. Forseth’s Volunteer Work

Volunteering overseas with One World Surgery, which was founded by one of our Summit surgeons, Dr. Peter Daly, means a lot to me. I have volunteered in places like Haiti, Colombia, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, and it continues to be a positive influence on my practice. My experiences there have broadened my perspective about what I do here — personally and professionally. We travel regularly to spend time seeing patients and performing surgeries.

I also run the One World Surgery orthopedic fellowship program with Dr. Daly. We have two fellows a year, physicians from Honduras who spend half the year in Minnesota with us and half the year in Honduras with us training to learn advanced surgical techniques, which they then take back to their communities in Honduras.

At Summit, I’m fortunate to work with a fantastic team. The collaboration among physicians, advanced practice providers, therapists, and others really sets Summit apart and makes it a great place both to work and to come as a patient.

Connecting with Athletes and Parents as an Upper Extremity Surgeon

I know what it’s like to be the parent of a young athlete — and how hard it can be when that child gets injured. All three of my kids were college athletes and played multiple sports per year while growing up — including getting injured quite a few times. I played sports growing up as well. I draw on that life experience when I see young athletes and their families in my practice, because I get it and can really empathize, because I know what it’s like.

Dr. Michael Forseth’s Outside Interests

Outside the office, I like to draw, and I take piano lessons. So far, I’m terrible at it, but I really enjoy the process of learning to play. I spend a lot of time mountain biking. Waking up early and riding is how I start my day, and it’s a key element of my routine. I grew up on a ranch in South Dakota, where I spent my time riding horses, cleaning stalls, and hauling hay. Even though I live in the city now, I still miss it.