What are the treatment options available?
Several treatment options exist for Dupuytren’s contracture depending on the age of the patient, severity of the condition and type of the finger joint involved in the disease.
a). Needle aponeurotomy (“breaking” the dupuytren’s thickening with a needle)
b). Collagenase(Xiapex) injection
c). Fasciectomy (removal of the dupuytren’s thickening)
d). Segmental fasciectomy (removal of the dupuytren’s thickening through multiple small incisions)
e). Dermofasciectomy (removal of the part of the affected skin and dupuytren’s thickening)
I heard about a type of collagenase injection called Xiapex used for treatment of Dupuytren’s. How can I receive it?
Sadly, the manufacturers of the collagenase injection have withdrawn the drug from use for Dupuytren’s disease. This has been a huge disappointment for patients with Dupuytren’s. However, the British Society of Surgery of the Hand in its recent Newsletter (October 2020) suggested the prospects of importing an equivalent drug to the UK from USA though Mawdsleys Unlicensed Medicines portal; this process has the provisional approval of UK regulatory agency, the MHRA.
How long will it to take to recover from Dupuytren’s surgery?
Recovery from Dupuytren’s surgery depends on the treatment modality offered. For example, patients with needle aponeurotomy, a procedure done under local anaesthesia, can potentially go back to work as early as the following day. However, at the other end of the spectrum, patients undergoing the procedure called dermofasciectomy plus a skin graft, may take as long as four to six weeks to return to work, depending on their type of employment.