Based in the heart of NY, Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions offers the best facility for performing toe removal (Polydactyly surgery), while catering to all other various foot and ankle problems. Look no further when you can have direct access to the globally acclaimed specialist team of foot and ankle surgeons, supervising & managing your toe removal (Polydactyly surgery) with diligence and dedication.
Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions support team is absolutely attentive to your requirements related to toe removal (Polydactyly surgery). Call & book an appointment right away for professionally diagnosed, treated and empathetically cured foot and ankle issues, to lead a wholesome, enviable lifestyle.
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): Defined & Detailed By Your Doctor
Polydactyly is the name given to a rare congenital physical deformity or birth defect which is characterized by the presence of more than five fingers or toes. It is bilateral in 50% of incidents.
The condition is also referred to as “Polydactylism” or “Hyperdactyly.” It is the diametric of a condition known as Oligodactyly that is indicated by the presence of fewer than normal fingers or toes. The additional abnormal projections of the hand or foot are also referred to as supernumerary digits or extra digits.
Treatment for polydactyly of the foot has altered little with the passage of time. Removing the extra digit by disunion is the standard treatment. Polydactyly is higher in blacks than in whites by about 10 times. Incidentally, the condition has slight male predisposition.
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): The Various Categories
Polydactyly may be classified into three major categories as follows:
- Postaxial Or Ulnar Polydactyly (Lateral Ray), the most commonly occurring type in around 80% of incidents, beside the little finger or toe
- Preaxial Or Radial Polydactyly (Medial Ray), the second most frequent type of the anomaly, beside the thumb or the big toe
- Central Polydactyly, the least common type of the deformity occurring as an attachment to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th finger or toe
The duplication of the extra digit(s) may range from a rudimentary digit to a well-formed and fully functional, articulated digit. Extra digits may be poorly developed and attached by a small stalk that are usually removed by fastening a tight string around the stalk to cause it to fall off, in the absence of bones within the adjunct digit. Abnormalities of the associated metatarsal are commonly observed in this deformity.
Rare forms of Preaxial Polydactyly have been observed to give rise to certain additional anatomical and physiological issues such as:
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cardiac Abnormalities
- Blood Disorders
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): The Associated Causative Factors
Polydactyly may occur as an isolated attribute or in concurrence with certain congenital syndromes. Besides, there is a strong positive family history in 30% of cases known as familial polydactyly. This trait involves only one gene that can cause several variations. The following factors are mainly associated with giving way to the development of this condition:
- Familial Polydactyly
- Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome
- Laurence-Moon-Biedl Syndrome
- Carpenter Syndrome
- Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome
- Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome (Chondroectodermal Dysplasia)
- Syndactyly (Webbed Hands Or Feet)
- Trisomy 13
- Asphyxiating Thoracic Dystrophy
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): The Signs & Symptoms
The way polydactyly presents can vary in forms. The condition may assume one of the following anatomical characteristics:
- Fully Functioning Finger Or Toe with tissues, bones, and joints
- Partially Formed Finger Or Toe containing some bones, but no joints
- Small, Raised Lump Of Soft Tissue containing no bones or joints (referred to as a nubbin)
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): Examination & Diagnostic Procedure
Your healthcare expert would diagnose the condition based on a family history, medical history, and a thorough physical inspection of the affected region. The tests employed to reach an accurate diagnosis of the condition include:
- X-Ray Imaging
- Enzyme Tests
- Metabolic Studies
- Chromosome Studies
Extra digits may be discovered during the first trimester of pregnancy with the aid of ultrasound or a more advanced procedure called “embryofetoscopy”.
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): The Treatment Process
Usually, this birth anomaly does not require any treatment. In most cases, although physically evident, they are not too pronounced and only appear like a fleshy stump. The treatment course follows as under:
Psychological Support & Counseling: In case of a prominent defect, affected individuals may get socially withdrawn and aloof as a consequence of being differently treated in the early years of their life. As a child enters his teen years, he or she becomes more conscious of their body and may turn psychologically depressed and downcast due to a different appearance than their peers. In such cases, effective psychological counseling may be required. Parents should also be supportive, shower more affection and adopt a caring attitude with their affected kids to make them feel emotionally sound and secure.
Surgical Approach: Surgery may be needed in instances where an extra digit begins to hamper or impair functions and daily life to a significant extent. For example, an extra digit on the foot may make it difficult for shoes to fit. In such circumstances, surgical excision of the additional toe is the best and most sensible option to go with.
The operative treatment for correction of this congenital anomaly usually requires the services of a certified therapist and an expert podiatric surgeon at a dedicated clinic. Sometimes, a developmental pediatrician and a geneticist also need to be involved for caring after babies suffering from this type of defect. The procedures adopted for curing polydactyly differ according to the type of condition to cope with.
- Treatment For Postaxial Polydactyly: In the postaxial form, the additional digit is attached only by a narrow, weak stalk comprising of soft tissue. This has to be removed by a small operative technique. However, if the stalk is quite narrow treatment may involve its ligation. Ligation is the process whereby the extra mass of skin or stalk attached to the normal finger or toe is tightly bound with a piece of string. This cuts off the blood supply and nutrients to the affected region and causes it to fall off after a period of time.
- Treatment For Preaxial Polydactyly: In the preaxial form, a single thumb can be reconstructed from two split (duplicated) thumbs. The method of creation of a single thumb involves comprehensive reconstruction of skin, tendons, ligaments, soft tissues and joints.
- Treatment For Central Polydactyly: In the central form, the condition requires a complicated operative method, if a finger needs to go under reconstruction. The joints, ligaments, soft tissues and tendons need a detailed reconstruction procedure, often requiring multiple surgeries at given time intervals.
Toe Removal (Polydactyly Surgery): The Complications Involved
Complications arising from surgery are rare but may include:
- Risk Of Infection via bacterial pathogens
- Tender Lump where the digit or nubbin has been removed
- Restricted Movement of the reconstructed digit
- Deformities resulting from incomplete excision of protruding elements