On July 15th 2002 I had a aponevrotomy performed by Dr. Lermusiaux. Little finger of right hand at stage 3 on Tubiana,s scale (110 degrees). In 20 minutes a 15 year anomaly came to an end. Today the finger is 7 degrees short of being straight again. With some exercise it will recover its normal position says Dr. Lermusiaux. Cost: 60 Euros? (about $90.00 canadian Dollars).
I am amazed that North American surgeons ignore such a painless and ultra simple technique!
Good news for Canadians and Americans close to the border:I talked to Dr. Helena Spacek at Notre-Dame Hospital in Montreal. She has obtained approval of payment for aponevrotomy from the Québec Health Insurance system. However, so far the medical establishmnet, i.e. the plastic surgeons who have, so it seems, a monopoly on this intervention, refuse to relinquish their trade. Dr. Spacek thinks that she will have overcome their objections in the early part of fall this year. Dr. Lermusiaux told me that she is very skillfull at performing the needle aponevrotomy. To reache her office call 514 340-2770 or Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal: 514 350-5136.
Many thanks to Tom Towle of Miami and others who have shared their experience and helped so many of us. It is because of you Tom, that I went to Paris and contacted Dr. Helena Spacek in Montreal. I am very grateful.
Sincerely yours,
Pierre Pouliot, Québec City.

Pierre, thanks for the info on Dr. Lermusiaux in Montreal. i was just there last summer, would have visited the office in person for more info if i had known. altho i am not needing this procedure just yet.

This is an interesting message from a NA message board. Perhaps Robert is on this board also.

Posted by Robert on August 05, 2002 at 01:16:41:

Hello,
I have been looking at this forum around two years. It has provided me with interesting and useful information.I have decided
to write my story,now,in hopes that it will prove helpful to others with this disease. My father has DC, is 80yrs. old, never
been treated, and his fingers are'nt too bad. He says he physically straightened them over time, when they were starting to
claw up, (his words)this was semi-painful.
I am a 50 yr. old white male, who found out what Dupuytren's Contracture was about 3and1/2 yrs. ago. I had a slight bump
with a little skin adherence on my left hand 1&1/2" below the base of my middle finger ever since I was quite young,(9 or 10),
with no disfunction of my hand. Since I was around 8yrs.I also
had a bump on the inside arch of my left foot,(Ledderhose disease).This caused very little occcasional discomfort, and no
disfunction. Later on in my late 20's to early 30's this bump doubled in size, and another bump grew on my right foot. Some
years later the one on my right foot almost disappeared, and the one on my left foot may have reduced a little. In April 99 I
started to get nodules in the palm of my right hand, the disease progressed to both hands and both little fingers started to
contract with bumps in other places.Last Nov.01 I went to Toulose, France and had needle aponectomy done on both hands,
3 times in 8 days.The little finger on the left hand was about 66 degrees, and the middle finger was starting to contract.The
little finger on my right hand was worse,(90+ degrees), and the index finger was starting to contract. The procedures were at
times slightly unconfortable,(one session my hands were poked 17 times with needles),but not more painful then getting a
shot,(lots of shots). the results in my left hand were very good; I could almost fully straighten out all my fingers. The little finger
on my right hand was better, but still had a 35 to 45 degree bend in it. Once or twice during the procedures I felt nerve tinges
where upon the doctor immediately ceased in that area. Several hours after my last treatment, laying in bed at the hotel, one
side of my little finger on my right hand went numb, and remains that way to this day. Returning home to the U.S. I started to
feel the bands regrowing between 3and 6 weeks after treatment. Now it is just over 8 months and on my left hand the little
finger is just over 90 degrees and the middle finger about 30 to 40 degrees. on the right the little finger is 90 to 115 and the
index is 30 to40 degrees.I am now trying to decide what my next step should be: 1.return to France this fall for another
aponectomy. 2.go to begium for a procedure there that's not as complex as a full operation. 3.consider
a operation here, which I don't favor. Or 4.amputate
half my little fingers, which I admit seems a little radical, at least for now. My main hesitation with a repeat aponectomy is the
possibility of nerve damage, and the speedy return of the contractures. I know this message is quite long, but I hope it is
helpful to someone out there.If there is anyone that can help me
deciding what my best optionsare, please e-mail me.
Good Luck to all!
Sincerely,
Robert

Eddie,
I agree with all of your comments. My only reason for placing that message was to point out that (as you said), there is not any one method that works for everyone.
Gary

I live in Belgium Jerry