The exact cause of the syndactyly is unknown, and 40% of patients have a family history. There are generally two types of syndactyly: complete and incomplete, and 50% of them are middle ring finger syndactyly.
How is the age of surgery determined?
The best time for surgery is after 18 months of age, preferably before school age. Premature surgery carries the risk of distal displacement of the web of the finger, i.e. recurrence of the condition. However, if two fingers of different sizes are joined, it is best to separate them early, between 6 and 12 months, because of the possibility of angulation, rotation and flexion deformities.
Some common problems during surgery The surgery is for the separation of the juxtaposed fingers, and regardless of the flap design, most of the skin is not enough to repair the interphalangeal wound, usually one finger can be completely repaired and the other finger needs to be treated with a skin graft, mostly taken from the groin.
Most of the postoperative complications are scar deformity of the web of the fingers and distal displacement of the web of the fingers, especially in children operated before 18 months of age, with recurrence and angular deformity. Therefore, as the child grows, a second repair is likely to be required.