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I
n the adult hand surgery literature, there are
multiple publications highlighting offce-based
hand surgery.
1–5
There are very few instances of
offce-based hand surgery in a pediatric popula-
tion present in the literature.
6,7
Polydactyly of the
hand is one of the most common congenital hand
malformations, with multiple treatment options
available for various presentations of type B post-
axial polydactyly (Fig. 1) of the pediatric hand.
In a recent review of the topic, Abzug and Kozin
8
present an algorithm for the management of type
B polydactyly. The preference stated for initial
treatment is initial suture ligation, with surgical
excision reserved for the operating room when
the child is aged 1 year or older. We present a case
series of successfully performed in-offce surgical
excision of the polydactylous digit in children as
young as 2 weeks.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
The University of Mississippi Institutional
Review Board granted approval (no. 2015-0035)
for review of the charts of pediatric patients who
underwent in-offce postaxial polydactyly exci-
sion from November of 2013 through February
of 2015. There were no patients excluded. In the
offce setting, parental consent was obtained for
surgical excision of the type B polydactylous digit
at the time of the procedure.
Surgical Technique
The parents remained present in the exami-
nation room for the entire procedure. The ulnar
aspect of the polydactylous hand was prepared
with an alcohol swab and the base of the poly-
dactylous digit was injected with 0.2 ml of 0.5%
lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine. The surgi-
cal team would leave the examination room for a
Disclosure: None of the authors has a financial
interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs
mentioned in this article.
Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000475787.67693.e7
Christopher L. Carpenter,
B.A.
Trajan A. Cuellar, M.B.,
B.Ch.
Michael T. Friel, M.D.
Jackson, Miss.
Background: In adult hand surgery literature, there are multiple publications
highlighting the successful use of offce-based hand surgery in the treatment of
hand conditions. There are few instances of offce-based hand surgery in the
pediatric population present in the literature. Polydactyly of the hand is one
of the most common congenital hand malformations. The authors present a
case series of successfully performed in-offce surgical excision of the type B
postaxial polydactylous digit in infants and children. The added health care
utilization improvements by performing this in the offce, as well as lack of
exposure to general anesthesia are reviewed.
Methods: A retrospective review of the patients treated was completed and the
technique of in-offce excision documented.
Results: Over a 15 month period, a total of twenty-six children were treated
in the offce for postaxial polydactyly. The average age of the child at the time
of excision was 3.3 months old, with a median of 1.4 months with a range of
9 days–4.2 years. There were no postprocedure complications in function or
sensation.
Conclusions: The authors report a case series of successful surgical excision
of type B postaxial polydactyly in newborns, infants, and children in an offce
setting with the use of lidocaine with epinephrine. This technique is a cost-
conscious approach to the condition without the need for general anesthesia.
This demonstrates excellent results with improved safety without sacrifcing
quality. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 137: 564, 2016.)
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
From the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Received for publication May 6, 2015; accepted September
21, 2015.
Offce-Based Post–Axial Polydactyly Excision in
Neonates, Infants, and Children
cpt
IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS