Recently, a baby who had undergone surgery for a floating thumb came back for a follow-up 5 months later, and it left a very deep impression on me-because the recovery exceeded my expectations.
This child had a Type IV thumb hypoplasia, where the thumb was connected to the palm only by a thin soft-tissue pedicle.
Before surgery, we discussed two options with the parents:
Option 1: Do not preserve the thumb - perform pollicization.
This involves removing the thumb and repositioning the index finger to function as a thumb.
Option 2: Preserve the thumb using bone grafting - SMRT hemi-metacarpal transfer reconstruction.
The procedure involves taking a portion of bone from the second metacarpal of the affected hand and transplanting it to the first metacarpal. This does not affect other parts of the body.
The surgery is completed in two stages:
In the first stage, part of the second metacarpal is transferred to the first metacarpal.
About three and a half months later, the second stage is performed to enable the reconstructed thumb to truly move.
After understanding both options, the parents chose without hesitation to preserve the thumb.
"We just want to keep our child's thumb and have all five fingers. Even if the appearance isn't perfect, it doesn't matter," the mother said.
After the second surgery, the whole family took turns helping the child with rehabilitation exercises whenever they had time.
Now, five months after surgery, the mother happily told me:
"It has grown quite well. He can hold the handlebars and grab railings now. I think it's already very good-we're very satisfied."
The grandmother also smiled and added: "He was able to start moving it gradually quite early on."
Watching the child hold toys with his small hand, I truly felt gratified.
The surgery gave the child a starting point, but what really made such good function possible was the family's daily dedication and persistence.
Kudos to this family-I believe that at the next follow-up, the child will bring even more pleasant surprises!