Office-Based Post-Axial Polydactyly Excision in Neonates, Infants, and Children.

Abstract

In adult hand surgery literature, there are multiple publications highlighting the successful use of office-based hand surgery in the treatment of hand conditions. There are few instances of office-based hand surgery in the pediatric population present in the literature. Polydactyly of the hand is one of the most common congenital hand malformations. The authors present a case series of successfully performed in-office surgical excision of the type B postaxial polydactylous digit in infants and children. The added health care utilization improvements by performing this in the office, as well as lack of exposure to general anesthesia are reviewed. A retrospective review of the patients treated was completed and the technique of in-office excision documented. Over a 15 month period, a total of twenty-six children were treated in the office for postaxial polydactyly. The average age of the child at the time of excision was 3.3 months old, with a median of 1.4 months with a range of 9 days-4.2 years. There were no postprocedure complications in function or sensation. The authors report a case series of successful surgical excision of type B postaxial polydactyly in newborns, infants, and children in an office setting with the use of lidocaine with epinephrine. This technique is a cost-conscious approach to the condition without the need for general anesthesia. This demonstrates excellent results with improved safety without sacrificing quality. Therapeutic, IV.