Restoring Your Hand’s Natural Form and Function. 

Deformities that develop from diseases like Dupuytren’s Contracture or as a result of a past injury can significantly impact your life. We offer advanced reconstructive plastic surgery to straighten fingers, release contractures, and restore your hand’s capabilities, helping you regain the function you’ve lost. 

You Don’t Have to Live with the Limitations of a Hand Deformity. 

A hand that has changed its shape over time can create a host of daily frustrations, affecting everything from a simple handshake to the ability to put your hand in your pocket or wear a glove. These functional and aesthetic changes can be concerning, but in many cases, a definitive surgical solution can provide a dramatic improvement. 

Common Deformities We Treat 

Dupuytren’s Contracture

• Dupuytren’s Contracture is a progressive condition that affects the layer of tissue (fascia) that lies under the skin of your palm. This tissue begins to thicken and form hard nodules and cords. Over time, these cords can tighten and pull one or more fingers—most commonly the ring and small fingers—into a permanently bent position, making it impossible to straighten them. 

Boutonnière Deformity

• A Boutonnière Deformity is a specific “bent” shape that a finger can take on, where the middle joint is flexed downward and the fingertip is bent backward. This is caused by damage to the central slip of the extensor tendon that straightens the middle joint, often as a result of a “jamming” injury or from the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. 

Other Acquired Deformities

• Deformities can also develop from other causes, such as a fracture that healed in an incorrect position (a malunion) or severe, destructive arthritis that causes joints to shift out of alignment. These complex post-traumatic or degenerative issues often require specialized reconstructive surgery. 

Meticulous Procedures to Restore Your Hand’s Anatomy 

Dupuytren’s Fasciectomy 

• For Dupuytren’s Contracture, the goal of  any procedure is to release the bent fingers. In a fasciectomy, Dr. French makes careful incisions in the palm and meticulously dissects and removes the diseased cords of fascia. This releases the tension that is pulling on the fingers, allowing them to be straightened and restoring a more functional hand position. In a needle aponeurotomy……. 

Boutonnière Repair 

• Correcting a Boutonnière Deformity requires a complex soft tissue reconstruction. In this procedure, Dr. French rebalances the delicate network of tendons around the finger’s middle joint. This often involves repairing the damaged central tendon slip and adjusting the surrounding structures to restore the finger’s ability to straighten properly. 

The Art and Science of Deformity Correction 

Correcting a hand deformity is the essence of reconstructive plastic surgery. It requires far more than just addressing a single tissue; it demands a surgeon who can expertly manage the skin, intricate soft tissues, and delicate tendons all at once. As a Harvard-trained reconstructive plastic surgeon specializing in the hand, Dr. French possesses the unique and essential skill set to not only improve the hand’s mechanics but to do so with a focus on restoring a more natural form and appearance.