Congenital Differences-Treatment of Postaxial Polydactyly Type B

Treatment of Postaxial Polydactyly Type B

Pdf Summary

Postaxial polydactyly type B is a condition characterized by the presence of extra digits attached to the small finger in a pedunculated fashion. Treatment options for this condition include observation, suture ligation, vascular clip ligation, and surgical excision. Suture ligation and vascular clip ligation are non-invasive techniques that are typically performed by pediatricians, obstetricians, or surgeons without anesthesia. The digit is placed on tension and a suture or clip is placed around the base of the stalk to prevent blood flow, causing the digit to fall off within 4-21 days. These techniques have good to excellent results but may have complications such as failure of the digit to fall off, bacterial infection, traumatic neuroma formation, and residual bumps. Surgical excision is performed in an operating room using anesthesia. The digit is excised by making an elliptical incision and coagulating the feeder vessel. Some authors advocate high transection of the accessory nerve to avoid painful neuromas. Surgical excision has been shown to have successful outcomes with minimal complications. Future research should focus on conducting a multicenter prospective study to assess the incidence and outcomes of different treatment options. In practice, suture ligation is typically preferred over vascular clip ligation, and surgical excision is reserved for cases where the digit was not completely ligated or the parents are not satisfied with the appearance of a bump.

Keywords

Postaxial polydactyly type B

extra digits

suture ligation

vascular clip ligation

surgical excision

non-invasive techniques

complications

operating room

painful neuromas

multicenter prospective study