| Do I now need surgery? |
|
|
1
|
| 1
|
|
08/20/2013 10:40
nautiki 
|
08/20/2013 10:40
nautiki
|
Do I now need surgery?
I'm a 63 female who was diagnosed with DD and LD two years ago. Feet are no problem yet but hands are another story. I've had NA done on both hands and ziaflex injected on both hands. I saw my hand surgeon in Chattanooga Tennessee yesterday as the large cord in my left palm that connects to my ring finger is getting huge, about the width of a pencil, and bending my hand again. My doctor strongly wants to do surgery citing how aggressive my DD seems to be and the failure of the NA and Ziaflex as a long term solution. He would cut on palm and up two fingers. I said no and we settled on trying Ziaflex again. I really don't want to be out of the use of my left hand for two months at this point in my life. Am I doing myself damage by waiting and continuing the other treatments, can you just keep cutting and injecting?
|
|
|
|
|
08/20/2013 14:27
callie 
|
08/20/2013 14:27
callie
|
Re: Do I now need surgery?
Surgery was the best answer for me. I had surgery (little finger over 90 degrees contracture) over 11 years ago. The finger is as good (zero degrees contracture) still as before I had Dupuytren's. I have several friends who have had surgery with almost as good results. My recovery was about 2 1/2 months before being able to golf. Surgery is not a bad choice for you at this stage. Make sure the HAND surgeon has had experience with Dupuytren's. Also, there was very little pain with my surgery and recovery. It looks much worse than it is.
|
|
|
|
|
08/20/2013 16:25
Tusk 
|
08/20/2013 16:25
Tusk
|
Re: Do I now need surgery?
I think you are smart by avoiding surgery as long as you can. I would continue with NA and Xiaflex. Not only is there a higher risk of complications with open surgery, there is a much longer recovery time and, as has been documented on here many, many times, the trauma of open surgery, compared to the much less invasive NA or Xiaflex, might result in a higher incidence of recurrence or extension of the disease.
|
|
|
|
|
08/20/2013 19:14
callie
|
08/20/2013 19:14
callie
|
Re: Do I now need surgery?
Tusk,
Have you had a limited fasciectomy?
You said, "the trauma of open surgery, compared to the much less invasive NA or Xiaflex, might result in a higher incidence of recurrence or extension of the disease."
I agree when you say "might", but surgery "might not" result in a "higher incidence of recurrence or extension of the disease". Is there information to support what you suggested?
Edited 08/21/13 03:03
|
|
|
|
|
08/21/2013 04:29
moondanc
|
08/21/2013 04:29
moondanc
|
Re: Do I now need surgery?
nautiki:
I'm a 63 female who was diagnosed with DD and LD two years ago. Feet are no problem yet but hands are another story. I've had NA done on both hands and ziaflex injected on both hands. I saw my hand surgeon in Chattanooga Tennessee yesterday as the large cord in my left palm that connects to my ring finger is getting huge, about the width of a pencil, and bending my hand again. My doctor strongly wants to do surgery citing how aggressive my DD seems to be and the failure of the NA and Ziaflex as a long term solution. He would cut on palm and up two fingers. I said no and we settled on trying Ziaflex again. I really don't want to be out of the use of my left hand for two months at this point in my life. Am I doing myself damage by waiting and continuing the other treatments, can you just keep cutting and injecting?
Nautiki,
I'm sorry to hear about your aggressive DD and LD. Did you have the NA done prior to the Xiaflex? If so, was your DD as aggressive before your Xiaflex injection? Some people have found that after a Xiaflex injection their DD gets much more aggressive-- for instance prior to Xiaflex they only had DD in one hand;shortly after Xiaflex they find disease in both hands.
Diane
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
| 1
|
230 users online
Login
