Going back to the pain part or the "snapping" part of NA treatment. When talking to Dr. Pess, actually during treatment (it was between the 1st snap and the 2nd snap) he said something that at the time I didn't really think about until later. I had other things on my mind, more specifically the pain of the 1st snap. Anyway, when I mentioned that it hurt more than I expected, he said this is the way he was trained to do it in France and it is the way the doctor that trained him does all his NA treatments. It was the same doctor that trained Eaton

Now I remember somebody mentioning that Dr. Eaton uses a lot more numbing agent and the snap although still painful is not near as bad. Knowing what I know now after my treatment with Dr. Pess, if I were given the choice of numbing up my hand real good before the snap, I would absolutely do it. Would I do it again even with the little numbing agent I got the first time, YES, but as I said if I had my choice I would say cut the chords first then REALLY numb my hand before the snap.

Going back to what Dr. Pess said about that's the way he was trained in France and it is the way the doctor that trained him does all his NA treatments. I wonder if there is a specific reason they do it that way. I mean with very little numbing agent. I understand why very little is used before cutting the chords. It is done this way to avoid doing nerve damage. However, I wonder what the reason is for the Dr. in France that trained Eaton and Pess to avoid a lot of numbing agent throughout the whole treatment, even for the snap. When I go back to Pess in 6 months I'll ask him about that. It just seems strange that wouldn't at least give the patient the choice; unless like I said there is a specific reason they avoid using a lot of numbing agent throughout the treatment.

I wish you were the Dr. Just to compare my situation to yours, and what is different. My finger went from 0 degrees contracture, to 85 degrees in less than a year. It is one reason why NA was almost out of the question for me. It went that fast. At 0 degrees I didn't know what Dupuytren's was. By the time I had a good idea, my finger was at 85 degrees. I actually talked to my surgeon about NA, collagenase and any other options(four years ago).

I had a fasciectomy. And as I have said previously, now 4 years later, you can't tell that I have Dupuytren's.

I have had three NA's done on my same finger by Dr Eaton and have not found any difference in his effort to sever the chords--they do not seem to be any thicker--it just seems that they grow back faster.


If you read Dr. Eatons web site I believe it explains that sometimes when the cords are cut.. they are reobsorbed or try to shrink back into the tissue.... on my hand I can see this... BUT....this has not effected position of fingers...
ALSO...EVERYONES TISSUE UNDER THE SURFACE IS DIFFERENT...