The operation was done in a staged manner, requiring two or more sittings
R. Karkuzhali dean of Government Stanley Hospital, interacts with S. Ananya and her mother S. Kavira. V. Ramadevi head of the department of plastic surgery also seen. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Four-year-old Preetha Shetty from Andhra Pradesh can now heave a sigh of big relief. Syndactyly, a condition in which she did not have the index finger and her four fingers were fused together, will not bother her anymore, thanks to a rare surgery at the Government Stanley Hospital here.
Doctors said the operation was done in a staged manner, requiring two or more sittings. But in Preetha’s case, she required only one sitting, which is rare. Dr V. Ramadevi, head of the department of plastic surgery, explained that in ‘simple syndactyly’ only the skin or membrane will remain connected. In ‘complex syndactyly’ the bones of adjacent digits are fused. It is congenital. In early human foetal development webbing of the fingers is normal. After 16 weeks of gestation, ‘apoptosis’ takes place and an enzyme dissolves the tissue between the fingers and the webbing disappears. In some fetuses, this process does not occur completely between all fingers and some residual webbing remains.
Dr G.S. Radhakrishnan consultant plastic and cosmetic surgeon, said,” Ten to 40% cases occur because of genetic reasons. It is a sort of cosmetic surgery as well.” A minimal scar will be there. Doctors said the surgery would involve a cost of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50, 000. Being a government hospital, surgery on Preetha was done free of cost.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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