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Repair of webbed fingers or toes - Recovery

Alternative Names

Web finger repair; Web toe repair; Syndactyly repair

After the Procedure:

Most people stay in the hospital for 1 - 2 days.

Sometimes the cast extends beyond the fingers or toes to protect the repaired area from injury. Small children who had webbed finger repair may need a cast that reaches above the elbow.

Outlook (Prognosis):

The repair is usually successful. When joined fingers share a single fingernail, the creation of two normal-looking nails is rarely possible. One nail will look more normal than the other. Some children require a second surgery if the webbing is complicated.

Before and after webbed finger repair

Syndactyly

Repair of webbed fingers - series

Reviewed last on: 7/28/2010
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Jobe MT. Congenital anomalies of the hand. In: Canale ST, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 76.

Vidyadharan R, Lester R. Syndactyly correction: an aesthetic reconstruction. "The Journal of hand surgery, European volume." J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2010 Jul;35(6):446-50.

Webbing of the fingers or toes

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