"Even if the 4D ultrasound had shown he had six fingers, I would still have chosen to give birth to him."
Five months after the polydactyly surgery, this mother still remembers the moment when her child was born: her helplessness upon discovering the extra finger, her joy upon learning that surgery was possible, and her determination to find the best doctor for her child.
First Consultation
The baby was premature. When they came to the clinic, he was 7 months old, but his corrected age was 5 months, and he weighed 8 kilograms.
After the baby was born, except for the grandparents on both sides, no other relatives knew about the child's condition. The parents were very worried about the child's future psychological well-being. Without surgery, the child would grow up, go to school, and work with six fingers. They couldn't bear for their child to face such a situation, so they kept seeking medical help.
They are also from Zhejiang, not far from my hometown of Hangzhou. In fact, they knew from the start that I could perform this surgery but felt Wuhan was a bit far away, so they consulted many nearby hospitals before finally deciding to come to Wuhan.
Because the baby was already older, they didn't want to delay further. For cases like this, surgery can generally be considered when the baby is around 6 months old, weighs at least 6 kilograms, and is healthy.
First Consultation
At the clinic, the baby was very well-behaved. His father called him "the calm little guy."He stretched out his little hand obediently. He had type IV polydactyly. Simply removing the extra thumb would not be enough; an osteotomy would also be needed to correct the alignment, otherwise there would be a risk of deviation later.
At that time, the mother was still considering whether it might be possible to fuse the two thumbs together. This option is not impossible, but it requires considering the child's specific condition as well as the risks after fusion, such as nail deformities or deviation.
Coincidentally, that same day there was a patient at another hospital who had undergone BC surgery and was experiencing serious issues with the nails and deviation. After seeing that case, the mother understood this approach needed to be considered very carefully.
Preoperative X-ray
For this baby's type of polydactyly, directly removing the extra thumb and then performing an osteotomy to realign was more appropriate.
Because the inner thumb was relatively better in appearance and function, we decided to remove the outer thumb and adjust the joint capsule and other structures of the remaining thumb accordingly. Combined with postoperative K-wires and brace for fixation, this approach reduced the chance of the thumb deviating later.
Carrying the Baby Out – No One Can Tell
The anxiety before the surgery and the tense waiting during the operation may always remain in the parents' memory, but as parents, they hope most of all for their child to grow up carefree. They plan never to tell him what happened and simply let him enjoy a normal life.
Five Months After Surgery
Before the surgery, the family rarely let outsiders know about the child's polydactyly. Even when going out, they would wrap the child's right hand so others wouldn't see it.
But after the surgery, now the parents take the child out without worrying about people's stares. The mother says you can't even see the surgical scars anymore.
Five Months After Surgery
This is actually the mother's biggest wish. They most hope their child can grow up happily, without caring about other people's opinions and without hiding his hand.