Surgery for Dupuytren's

You may not need treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture if the condition is in the early stages and not affecting your ability to perform daily activities. However, if you are experiencing pain or are having difficulty using your hands for everyday activities, we will recommend conservative treatment options to treat your condition.

Treatment options will vary depending on the severity of the condition. The conservative approaches include:

Massage Exercises: Stretching exercises such as bending the fingers away from the palm may provide some comfort, but unlikely to change the natural history.
Injections: Steroid injections in the palm may be done to relieve local inflammation. However, this is rarely required.
Collagenase Injection: An enzymatic drug that breaks down collagen can be injected into the corded tissue to soften and weaken the contracture. The Surgeon will later that week manipulate the area manually to break up the tissue.
Needle Aponeurotomy: This procedure involves inserting a small needle into the thickened palm to release the tissue. The finger may be manipulated to loosen and break up the contracting tissue.

Surgical Procedure

If conservative treatment options fail to resolve the condition and symptoms persist and your quality of life is adversely affected, we may recommend a surgical procedure to release the thickened tissue.

This surgery is usually performed in an operating room under local or regional anaesthesia on an outpatient basis as day surgery. Incisions are made over the affected palm area.

The surgeon then removes the thickened fibrous tissue causing the contracture.

The incision is then closed with sutures and covered with a sterile dressing.

Complications

Complications can be medical (general) or specific to hand surgery. Medical complications include those of the anaesthetic and your general well-being. Complications associated with hand surgery include: