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click below to see some before and after photos of my
own hands. |
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Needle Aponevrotomy (NA)
NA is a
non-surgical procedure for the treatment of contracted
Dupuytren's cords in the hand. It is sometimes also called
needle aponeurotomy or needle fasciotomy. It is minimally
invasive - under local anesthetic, the physician uses a small
hypodermic needle to divide and sever the contracting bands in
the diseased areas of the palm and fingers. This technique was
developed in Paris by Dr. Lermusiaux in the early 1950's and has
been in use in France for the past 30 years. This procedure is
now available to you in the US.
The effectiveness of this method is
outstanding.
NA vs. Surgery
 | NA is an office procedure which takes approximately a half-hour to an hour to perform; no need for
hospitalization or general anesthesia.
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Rapid healing - aside from
heavy lifting, normal activity is easily resumed after 48
hours. Physical therapy is not required. After standard
surgical methods months of physical therapy and rehab are
required.
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Little or no pain medication is needed
afterwards.
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Virtually no complications or
scarring. Complications that may occur from traditional
surgical methods used to correct Dupuytren's contracture
- such as nerve injury, infection, hematoma formation,
stiffness, flare reaction or RSD (Reflex sympathetic dystrophy)
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are extremely minimal, if not unheard of, with NA. There is no
scarring.
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In the event that the disease
returns, which happens in about 50% of patients, this
procedure can be repeated many times if necessary. This
cannot be said for other surgical methods used to treat
Dupuytren's contracture, which can eventually lead to amputation
of the finger if repeated.
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Much less expensive than
standard surgical methods (fascitomy, fasciectomy,
dermofasciectomy). Depending upon the severity of the disease, it
can be as little as 1/5 the cost of surgery. |
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Each
hand has to be treated on separate days, so you should
plan on a 2 day visit.
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| Please call us if you have any questions or to set up an appointment at your convenience:
208-344-5628 |
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