This is a case of syndactyly (webbed fingers) and Synpolydactyly (extra toes) in both hands and feet. The family traveled a long way from Shanxi, bringing their 7-month-old baby, hoping to address the child's hand and foot issues as early as possible.
Can syndactyly be treated by simply "cutting the fingers apart"?
This baby has syndactyly between the middle and ring fingers, which is not a simple case. The surgery involves more than just separating the fingers-it also requires consideration of issues such as skin loss during separation and the postoperative care that follows.
To restore the hands to a state where each of the five fingers can move independently, there's often not enough skin to cover the separated areas.This leads to the question:
At the first consultation
Where does the skin come from after separating the webbed fingers?
1.Skin grafting, where skin is taken from another part of the child's body to cover the wounds. The advantage is faster healing if the graft survives, but it's a "robbing Peter to pay Paul" approach. Parents often feel heartache over this, especially in this case where all four limbs have anomalies and would require a lot of skin for grafting. The parents were reluctant to choose this method.
2.No skin grafting, which means not taking skin from other areas. Instead, artificial dermis is used to cover the wounds. After multiple rounds of dressing changes and care, the child's own skin gradually regenerates, leaving minimal color difference on the hands.
How many surgeries are needed for both hands and feet?
Just one-a single operation to address both the hands and feet. However, performing surgery on all four areas is quite complex, especially since the feet involve polydactyly, which differs from syndactyly.
At the first consultation
The child has six toes-which one should be removed?
In this case, the inner metatarsals (bones on the inner side of the foot) were smaller, so the inner toes on both feet were removed. This allows the child to walk and wear shoes normally in the future. Since this is a girl, the parents were especially concerned about her future ability to wear pretty shoes and participate in social life.
How is the child recovering after surgery?
This is the child's condition 10 months post-op. The mother proudly says that everyone who sees her daughter praises the results. Compared to before the surgery, there's a big improvement. The child can now open her hands like other kids to grab things and wear well-fitting, cute shoes.
10 months after surgery
For parents, the goal is to resolve their child's issues as soon as possible. Whether it's the hands or feet, these abnormalities are a kind of physical and emotional burden. That's why the family traveled so far for surgery. They also diligently helped their child with functional exercises, wearing braces, and applying scar-removal ointment after surgery-to give her the best possible recovery.
Regardless of the type of surgery, a child's recovery always depends on the parents' support and care. This family has done exceptionally well. This baby is their second child, and they also have an 11-year-old at home. Both parents have worked hard and deserve praise!
Do extra toes always need to be removed?
In clinic visits, it's rare for parents to ask whether extra toes can be left alone. To outsiders, extra toes might look "neat" or "unique," but for parents, it's heartbreaking.
There's a saying, "ten fingers are linked to the heart."When a child has hands and feet like this, it's not only the baby who suffers emotionally-the mother feels it deeply too. No mother wants to see her child struggle with restricted limbs. So even though surgery can be painful in the short term, mothers are willing to be "cruel" for the sake of their children's future.
Just like this mother-no one cares more about her baby than she does. Yet she still actively brought her baby to every check-up and patiently listened to the instructions for care. She did a wonderful job, and the final outcome made her feel satisfied.
She said: "Everyone who sees it says it turned out great!"
This is not only praise for the doctor, but even more so a recognition of herself and her family's efforts to give their child a better future. They gave their daughter the hands and feet she needs to touch her own world.