Dupuytren's Disease and Needle Aponeurotomy

Surgical Treatment  

Several different surgical techniques can be used to remove the thickened fascia and correct the contracture. Your surgeon will select a technique based on his or her experience, training, and approach. The aim of the surgery is to release the contracture and improve hand function by removing the diseased tissue.  

The results of surgery are usually good, and the fingers can return to normal extension after therapy. However, the disease can return even some years after the initial surgery. Dupuytren’s contracture usually does not recur beneath a skin graft, so this may be an option in especially aggressive forms of the disease.  

Traditional open surgery is still the “gold standard” by which other treatments are measured.  By removing diseased tissue, there may be a lower risk of the contracture recurring.  However, because of the extensive surgery that is often required, there is a relatively prolonged period of post-operative rehabilitation.  Many patients will require hand therapy and/or splinting.  Patients with demanding jobs may need to take two to eight weeks off from work.

Minimally Invasive Open Surgery

While in his hand fellowship at UCLA, Dr. Mahoney was trained by Neil Jones, M.D., in the technique of mini-transverse incisions for Dupuytren's disease. This technique uses small transverse incisions to minimize soft tissue injury.

Below, immediate pre-operative photographs show the patient's contracture.

These photographs below are taken two weeks after surgery. The patient had not had any therapy.

The final pictures below are taken six weeks after surgery. The patient attended two therapy appointments. The incisions are marked with the ball-point pen.