| My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please |
|
|
1 2
|
| 1 2
|
|
10/15/2012 16:47
Val 
|
10/15/2012 16:47
Val
|
My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
Hi,
I'm posting on behalf of my mom...
She has recently been diagnosed with Dupuytren in her right hand (she is right handed). From what she can remember, it started many years ago (maybe 10 or 15+?) with a lump, followed by contractions that started a few years ago. Her pinky is now bent about 70 or 80 degrees (its getting close to being perpendicular to her palm). It also affects her ring finger a little bit, but that's it.
She was recently referred to a surgeon and just had her first appointment. He recommends that she undergo surgery now. The thing is, we're not sure its really necessary at this time, considering all the risks involved with having surgery, and also that...
...she is 73
...she is retired
...it doesn't bother her, or cause her any difficulty in carrying on with daily life
...it doesn't cause her any pain, unless she pushes on it or tries to straighten her hand, and even then its not significant
So with all this in mind, is it really necessary to jump right into surgery? My instinct says that we should hold off, at least for now, and to keep an eye on it to see how quickly (or hopefully slowly) it progresses from here...and that if it gets worse to the point that it actually starts to bother her, or affect her daily life, then we should revisit whether surgery is right for her, at that time...
I'd love to get some thoughts on this though...are there any significant drawbacks to delaying surgery as long as possible?? I haven't been able to find any yet, but again this is a new topic for us...
Thanks so much :)
|
|
|
|
|
10/15/2012 17:35
callie 
|
10/15/2012 17:35
callie
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
If it isn't causing her any problems, it is up to her. Everyone usually says that you (your mom) will know when it becomes a real problem. But, the longer a person waits, the more difficult it is to correct. Has the finger been contracting lately? There are alternatives to surgery. My little finger was over 90 degrees when I had surgery. Eleven years later you can't tell I ever had Dupuytren's. Everyone reacts differently to the different procedures.
I told my 83 year old neighbor that I had Dupuytren's and he raised his hand to show me that he has had it for the last 30 years. He has decided to live with it because it isn't bothering him much.
|
|
|
|
|
10/15/2012 17:41
Val
|
10/15/2012 17:41
Val
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
Thanks so much for the reply Callie. I really appreciate it 
No, it hasn't been contracting lately (not that we've noticed, anyways). We'll probably keep an eye on it for now...seems almost premature to jump into surgery when we don't even know how (and if) its progressing.
|
|
|
|
|
10/15/2012 17:46
spanishbuddha  Administrator
|
10/15/2012 17:46
spanishbuddha Administrator
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
Ask the surgeon why he would recommend surgery now over another treatment, such as Xiapex or NA. There may be good clinical reasons.
Everyone is different but I would be inclined to avoid a further contracture because there may be irreversable changes, but if possible try one of the none-surgical (by surgery here I mean Fasciectomy) options if possible. Not because surgery is bad but because the other options have fewer risks, shorter treatment time, also shorter recovery time, and at your Mother's age less or slower possibility of recurrence, and so may be good for many years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/15/2012 18:43
Val
|
10/15/2012 18:43
Val
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
Thank you very much for the replies. Perhaps a second opinion may be what's best. (The surgeon she saw was very pro-surgery.) Hopefully that will also give us a chance to discuss NA or any other possible treatments we can at least try out before going the surgery route.
|
|
|
|
|
04/10/2013 18:34
stevebass
|
04/10/2013 18:34
stevebass
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
Val,
Did your mother ever have any of the procedures? I'm trying to decide which way to go and your input and experience will be helpful in making my decision.
Thanks for responding.
|
|
|
|
|
04/10/2013 18:40
callie
|
04/10/2013 18:40
callie
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
stevebass,
What is your situation?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
04/10/2013 21:20
callie
|
04/10/2013 21:20
callie
|
Re: My mom is newly diagnosed - need advice please
I would suggest NA because of price. I don't know if there is correct advice because everyone is different with Dupuytren's. It seems that one person's experience does not transfer to other people very often.
Personally, I would have surgery if it were my finger, but that is just my preference because of the great success I had. My little finger was worse than yours when I had surgery 11 years ago. My finger is still as good (zero contracture) as it was prior to surgery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 2
|
| 1 2
|
174 users online
Login
