Operations for a crooked thumb?

[Woody1994]

I'm 19 years old. When I was born, there was a fleshy sack hanging off of my left thumb. After a surgical removal of the sack, they opened it up and saw that it was full of anatomical refuse, like bone fragments and ligaments. With that said, my actual left thumb was crooked, and it has been crooked my whole life. The proximal joint can bend too much with ease, all the way down to my palm, and it's very unstable and wobbly. The distal joint is where the crooked bend is at, and it cant bend enough. There's a sensitive lump of scar tissue where the sack was. And from what I've noticed, the thumb is the way it is because its tendons and ligaments are all screwed up and off center. It's not as strong as my right thumb. Basically the thumb is underdeveloped or it just developed wrongly. The only condition I know of that I can remotely relate to my situation is thumb hypoplasia. So my question is, is there any way I can undergo some sort of reconstructive surgery on my thumb to make it a little more "normal?" I only ask because I know that most of the operations for this type of thing happen during infancy, not adulthood.

[Woody1994]

Hi! I did a lot of research, and learned that I was born with "preaxial polydactyly." And if your thumb matches the description of mine, chances are that's what you had too. Do some research yourself and see if it all matches up! In June, I'm going to Boston, Massachusetts to see the best orthopedic surgeon in the region to see if he can do anything about it. If you're willing to make a project out of all of this, I'd suggest you look up Dr. Peter Waters at the Boston Childrens Hospital. That's who I'm going to see. June can't come fast enough!

[Woody1994]

After much research, I have learned that I was born with preaxial polydactyly on my left hand. The extra thumb was removed when I was a baby, but my actual thumb still has the "z" shape that usually accompanies the condition.

[Deven1994]

hey woody i have the same thing like you ..... have you gotten treatment for your thumbs ? im also 19 years old and wold like any information you can give me that would help me resolve this

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
Depending on the deformity reconstructive surgery can be done at your age as the hands have developed by now and also growth plates would have fused. You need to consult an orthopedic specialist doing reconstructive surgery or a plastic surgeon.  
Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.