Leah's type of thumb duplication represents 36% of all thumb polydactyl. This particular doctor operates on average between 10-12 a year. The procedure will take about an hour and done on out patient. After the surgery, she will be in a cast to her elbow for two weeks at which point they will check the wound and change to the appropriate dressing. She will have minor scarring, but full functionality of her left thumb. The only remaining issue will be that the left thumb will always be smaller than the right. This will be noticeable if the thumbs are compared side by side, but the one hand will look completely normal independently.
Currently, the exterior thumb is putting pressure on the interior, and causing a nail deformity. So, for the next several months she will need to wear a wedge to separate the thumbs and correct the nail.
I went back and forth a little about whether or not to post a picture of this, somehow it felt wrong, but the more I thought about, I am sure that if I were reading this I'd be curious, and that is okay. After all, it's just a thumb.
Tara, you are an amazing Mom. Leah is so blessed to be in your family and have all the love and you staying on top of all the care for her. I have known several kids with an extra digit, she will do great!
ReplyDeleteI just saw your post on the bump and saw your blog. I'm glad you posted a pic, my daughter has syndactyl with three fingers on each hand connected. We are scheduled for surgery May 21 (after rescheduling twice) and there is no information out there of people that have gone through all of this. Keep up the posting!
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