DAY-CARE SURGERY FOR ADVANCED DUPUYTRENS CONTRACTURE

Seventy-six consecutive patients suffering from advanced Dupuytren's c ontracture were analysed in order to evaluate the safety of day care s urgery. The complication rates for haematoma, necrosis, infection and reflex sympathetic dystrophy were acceptable, but we found an unaccept ably high percentage of nerve lesions. Day care treatment was achieved in all but seven cases. We concluded that advanced Dupuytren's contra cture can be treated by day care surgery but the operations should be performed by surgeons who are skilled in hand surgery, and individual selection of patients with recurrence seems advisable.