["Open palm" technique in Dupuytren's disease. Postoperative complications and results after more than 5 years].

From 1974 to 1988, 868 open palm and/or finger operations were carried out by a surgeon at the SOS Main emergent hand surgery unit in Strasbourg. Out of these, 107 patients making up 140 fingers were seen again after a period of more than 5 years. The essential advantage of the method is the low rate of postoperative complications relative to the other methods involving skin closure. All patients had an ambulatory treatment with regional anesthesia. The palm was opened in 85% of cases, and both the palm and the base of the fingers in 14%. The average healing time was 26 days, with an average sick leave of 28 days. Postoperative pain was noted in 20% of cases, requiring medication in 10% for an average of 3 days. Postoperative bleeding requiring new dressing occurred in one case, after the patient had already been discharged (0.7%), while 3.5% of all patients had anticoagulants. No hematoma and no flap necrosis were noted, and temporary dysesthesia was noted in 4.6% of cases, nerve involvement in 3.1%, and neurovascular dystrophy in 7%, including 4 only with a functional deficit (2.8%). On the other hand, results after 5-6 years are similar to those of selective aponeurectomies published in the literature, with frequent recurrence (40.6%, including 23% severe enough to require second surgery). Extension was noted in 39% of all cases, and the total activity of the disease was present in 55% of all studied hands.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)