Many parents are curious about "Poland syndrome" and how it relates to the brachysyndactylia in their baby's hands. Why is it named after the country Poland?
It's actually named in honor of a doctor named Poland, who discovered this condition. Typically, there's a lack or underdevelopment of one side of the chest muscles, accompanied by brachysyndactylia.
Outpatient Consultation
Because many parents are unfamiliar with "Poland syndrome," they become anxious when their baby shows symptoms.
During outpatient consultation, a six-month-old baby was diagnosed with Poland syndrome. His grandmother kept telling me, "We worry every day at home, can't sleep at night," feeling very sorry for the child.
So, it's necessary for everyone to have a basic understanding of "Poland syndrome" and not to be overly anxious.
How to differentiate "Poland syndrome" from brachysyndactylia?
As mentioned earlier, "Poland syndrome" is different from typical brachysyndactylia because its main feature is abnormal chest development, and these two are closely related.
Outpatient Consultation
Abnormal chest development in babies may also be reflected in muscle development. In clinical practice, we often see abnormalities in the development of the pectoralis major and minor muscles. Like this baby, when brachysyndactylia was detected, we also found abnormalities during chest examination, which is typical of "Poland syndrome."
Not a Big Issue: How to Treat "Poland Syndrome"?
The grandmother was very worried about the condition of the child's hands. I told her not to worry. Whether it's brachysyndactylia or Poland syndrome, I've performed many surgeries, where we first separate the syndactyly, then conduct functional exercises afterward. Unless there are special circumstances, surgery can usually be done at six months old. The earlier the surgery, the better the plasticity of the baby's fingers and the greater the space for postoperative recovery.
The decision of whether to use skin grafts during syndactyly separation surgery depends on whether there is skin defect after the operation.
In the past, when skin defects occurred after syndactyly separation surgery, the conventional treatment was to take skin from other parts of the baby's body, such as the soft belly, for skin grafting surgery.
Artificial Dermis-Induced Non-Grafting
Artificial Dermis-Induced Non-Grafting
However, this method has some drawbacks, such as the probability of graft necrosis, and inevitably leaving scars at the donor site, making the transplanted area appear less natural.
Now there's a surgical plan without skin grafting, using artificial dermis to cover the wound to avoid the risk of graft necrosis. By inducing the skin near the wound to grow toward the center, it looks more like the surrounding normal skin.
Can Baby's "Poland" Fingers Grow Longer?
After the surgery, many parents ask me if their baby's fingers have grown longer after separation.
Actually, during the surgery, I deepen the child's webbed fingers, making them appear relatively longer, which is more conducive to the child's hand function exercises.
Six months post-surgery, agile and strong little hands
Also, because the surgery is performed early, the child will have a long period of functional exercise. Many parents have reported that their children are more willing to use their hands after surgery. This allows for more finger exercise during the child's early development, stimulating finger growth. So, there's a chance for the baby's fingers to grow longer.