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Xiaflex DC treatment in New Zealand
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01/13/2019 04:22
RoccoF 
01/13/2019 04:22
RoccoF 
Xiaflex DC treatment in New Zealand

Hi all,

Xiaflex was approved by Pharmac for treatment of DC in New Zealand in November, 2017. Anyone in NZ had experience with Xiaflex? Cheers.

01/13/2019 10:43
dupynz 
01/13/2019 10:43
dupynz 
Re: Xiaflex DC treatment in New Zealand

Hi RoccoF!

I am in New Zealand, and have had surgery on quite advanced Dupuytren's 2 1/2 months ago in my little and ring fingers.
When I asked about Xiaflex back in July 2018 I was told it was not available through the public health system (I don't have private health insurance). I said I'd be willing to pay for it to be done privately but was told in my case the DD was too advanced. (My little finger was at 90 degrees).
I still don't actually know if there are many in this country with the expertise to administer Xiaflex. The success would, I'm sure, be dependent on someone having had a fair bit of experience with Xiaflex.

What I do know is that my brother's neighbour was part of a research trial with Xiaflex back in 2013. Apparently the trial ran concurrently in several NZ cities. My brother's neighbour's DD was not severe and he has had long lasting success. Which is how i first heard of it and wanted it!

My GP has referred 2 patients to someone in Dunedin who routinely does Xiaflex (privately). One of them had good success, the other had a pretty disastrous result and ended up getting the finger amputated.
This may not be of much help, but good luck with whatever treatment you go for.

01/13/2019 19:26
RoccoF 
01/13/2019 19:26
RoccoF 
Re: Xiaflex DC treatment in New Zealand

Thank you for the helpful feedback. I am seeing my GP this afternoon and will see what he will say. I have Southern Cross and Xiaflex is in the list of covered drugs but my DC on the right pinky advanced quite a bit in the last 2-3 months so I will be curious about eligibility. But there are s few surgeons who do DC surgery in Wellington.

01/14/2019 11:12
dupynz 
01/14/2019 11:12
dupynz 
Re: Xiaflex DC treatment in New Zealand

Hope you got some answers from your GP. I am in Christchurch, where there are a few surgeons who do the surgery - though going through the public health system I didn't have the actual surgery done by the surgeon I expected

However, I am not displeased with the result because I didn't hold out much hope of my little finger getting straight after many months bent into my palm. It isn't totally straight now but wearing a splint at night does straighten it out even if it bends in a bit during the day.
I had a general anaesthetic and day surgery and my hand was in a cast for a week. Tricky, since it was my dominant left hand. Many here who have had surgery will say that the recovery takes longer than they might have expected, in that your hand doesn't feel totally normal for some time! And hand therapy post-op. is important. I'm still going to hand therapy once a week after 2 1/2 months.
That may apply even if you have Xiaflex.
There is no cure really and in many cases it comes back after a few years to some extent. We all have an ancestor to blame for this hereditary disease

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