Hi,
I had three ops both pinkies which have regressed.right ring finger operated on 4 months ago-this finger is trying to contract and i'm trying not to let it.

I have had two surgeons and very different post op experiences .my last operation the wound was very bad and opened up due to my stretching excercises.was given anti- b's as a precaution and its healed well now although i have not got full clenchability, although this is probably down to my preoccupation with straighteneing the finger.

i'm an eternal optomist and i am seeing the consultant agin in may for rework on my pinkie.

male-49-north west uk

If anyone goes to a hand surgeon who recommends open surgery, I suggest asking about NA. If the surgeon dismisses it, ask whether he or she has done NA. If they say no, go find a hand surgeon who does both open surgery and NA and see which they suggest. Then make your decision.

I've had surgery for DC and statistically I'm supposed to be the worst off. I'm a woman, age 34...Irish...the scar is seamless, the finger is as it was before I'd ever heard of DC, and I couldn't be happier. Whenever I search the topic of DC in hopes of learning more about the disease, this Randy comes up...always endorsing Dr. Eaton...whether you get paid by him, are brainwashed, or just really closed-minded...others out there...explore your options. Yes, you should always get 2nd, 3rd, 20th opinions, but when you have a person so focused on telling you to go to Dr. Eaton for NA, you should definitely do some research. *Randy H*--challenge me...I'm sure you can't ignore this post, Dr. E. or your oversized sense of self won't let you.

I am 7 weeks out pf surgery and still struggling with the physical therapy each day. Perhaps some would think some of my reasons for choosing surgery over NA are weak or invalid, but I am happy with my choice at this point.

Dups is often particularly aggressive in women. Such is the case with me. My pinkie finger went from normal to 90 degrees (PIP) in 20 months. I have it in both hands and a related disease in my right foot. I was informed that surgery over NA would give me a considerably better chance of having to go through only ONE procedure in my right hand than with NA.

NA may be able to be performed indefinitely, but there is no one within twelve hundred miles of me who preforms the procedure. Further, my medical insurance completely pays for surgery and postoperative PT. It will not pay for NA, nor for related travel expenses or accomodations or other related expenses. It will certainly not pay for second and subsequent procedures either, or for subsequent visits to the doctor if something goes awry. If the medical reasons were not strong enough to make mine a clear choice for surgery, then I'm not sure I could have afforded the NA anyway.

The disease in my left hand is progressing much more slowly so far. My left index finger may be a candidate for NA in the next few years. Perhaps the collagenase treatment will be available in the USA by then.

I'm sure we all respect the choice of each person to do what s/he believes (based on research and in consideration of each individual prognosis) is the right procedure for themselves.

My NA last month (two fingers affected, plus an unusual band across my palm to my thumb) ran $985 (Dr. Benhaim, UCLA), + another $500 for my flight/hotel/rental car. I didn't really factor the travel in, as I lived in Los Angeles for many years, and I knew I would visit friends and have a nice little vacation (which I did).

They are attempting to bill Medicare and my secondary insurance, but I have a feeling it will end up coming out of my own pocket.

As I understand it now, Medicare and my secondary insurance will pay for the procedure if it's preformed in a "Surgical Suite", but they will not pay if the exact same procedure is done "in-office". (The catch being that NA preformed in a "Surgical Suite" could easily run in excess of 5k, meaning that many people's copay would be higher than the uncovered NA procedure preformed in-office.