What is Dupuytren’s disease?
Dupuytren’s disease is a condition where scar-like tissue forms just beneath the skin of your fingers and the palm of your hand. It mainly affects the ring and little fingers. Over time, this fibrous tissue can contract and force one or more fingers to curl up into the palm. This is known as Dupuytren’s contracture.
What are the benefits of surgery?
You should be able to make better use of your hand and straighten the affected fingers more.
Are there any alternatives to a Dupuytren’s fasciectomy?
Your surgeon may be able to perform a needle aponeurotomy. This involves cutting the bands in your hand using a needle and a local anaesthetic, and avoids making a larger cut on your skin.
What does the operation involve?
The surgery can range from simply cutting a fibrous band in the palm of your hand to removing all the affected skin and replacing it with skin grafts.
Various anaesthetic techniques are possible.
How can I prepare myself for the operation?
If you smoke, stopping smoking now may reduce your risk of developing complications and will improve your long-term health.
What complications can happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection of the surgical site (wound)
- Allergic reaction to the equipment, materials or medication
- Chest infection
- Injury to an artery in your finger
- Incomplete correction of the Dupuytren’s contracture
- Return of Dupuytren’s disease
- Stiffness of your finger joints
- Damage to your nerves
- Numbness in your fingers which have been operated on
- Wound-healing problems
- Severe pain, stiffness and loss of use of your hand
How soon will I recover?
You should be able to go home the same day.
Your surgeon may arrange for you to have a splint to wear on your hand at night, and some physiotherapy to help get your fingers moving again.
It is also important to exercise your shoulder and elbow gently to prevent stiffness.
Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, ask the healthcare team or your GP for advice.
It can take some time for your hand to settle.
Your fingers may curl up into your palm again in the future.
Summary
A Dupuytren’s fasciectomy should straighten your fingers and give you a worthwhile improvement in the function of your hand.
Keep this information document. Use it to help you if you need to talk to the healthcare team.
Some information, such as risk and complication statistics, is taken from global studies and/or databases. Please ask your surgeon or doctor for more information about the risks that are specific to you, and they may be able to tell you about any other suitable treatments options.
This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice that your relevant healthcare team would give you.
Acknowledgements
Reviewer: Stephen Megson (BSc, MBChB, FRACS), Tim Davis (ChM, FRCS)
Illustrator: Medical Illustration Copyright © Nucleus Medical Art. All rights reserved. www.nucleusinc.com
This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice your healthcare team gives you. This information is published under license from EIDO Healthcare UK and is protected by copyright. Other than for your personal, non-commercial use, you may not copy, print, download or otherwise reproduce it.
Think you have Dupuytren’s disease?
Vasudev Shanbhag consults at two locations : St. Joseph’s Hospital at Newport and Nuffield Hereford Hospital at Hereford.