Congenital Deformities
Plastic Surgery reconstructs patients with different types of birth defects. A common birth defect that parents consult for are clefts of lips and/or palates of their newborn child. Cleft lips are usually repaired by the age of 3 months. Surgery inside the mouth to correct cleft palate is usually performed at about 12 months of age.
The most common hand birth defect is syndactyly. With this problem, two or more of the fingers of the hand are not separated at birth. Surgery to separate them is usually performed at approximately 12 months of age to promote good finger growth and development.
Yet another common congenital deformity looked after by plastic surgeons is the hemangioma. These are red growths that appear anywhere on a baby's body at or shortly after birth. Most of these grow quickly in the first year of life and then regress spontaneously on their own by the age of 5 to 8 years.
Many other congenital deformities are seen and treated by us, including patients with abnormal facial bony morphology, constriction bands, giant hairy nevi, etc.
Hand health problems include infection, animal bites and burns, wounds of any kind, broken bones or any other problems seen daily in any Emergency room. The more complex hand problems are generally referred to us.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common hand problem, not caused by work but it can be aggravated by work; it is explained by a lack of room for the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the hand. Surgery has a greater than 90% success rate for this problem.
Dupuytren's contracture is a frequently inherited problem which results in the gradual bending of the ring, small or other fingers into the palm with the inability to get it out straight no matter how hard you try. It is caused by deposition of tissues in the hand that cause contracture. Plastic Surgery removes these contractile tissues, and although it does not cure the disease, it relieves and improves function with the ability to straighten the fingers. Latest developments with amazing results at the treatment of Dupuytren's contracture is hyaluronidase/collagenase injection.
