Are all extra fingers/toes removed?
I was doing some research on various syndromes and did a search about Pallister-Hall Syndrome that landed me here. I don't know any people with extra fingers/toes, but one of my friends had a cat who had 8 or 9 claws on each paw. Anyway I was wondering if in people the extra digits are always removed or are they sometimes left on? I was surprised to hear about them being removed as it seems unecessary to me.
I cant answer why other's remove fingers and toes from their children, but the reason that my daughter will have her extra digit (actually 1/2 of a split thumb will be removed) is because she cannot bend that thumb while it is on. Also, children are mean. I am a teacher and kids will tease and be totally cruel about something like this.
polydactyly
My wife and I would like to agree with the person who has the daughter with a split thumb. Our daughter has the same thing.We were told that we would have to wait untill she is 2yrs old to have it removed. Could someone tell us how difficult this kind of surgery is,and about the recovery?
Re: polydactyly
We are having dds removed in June. The doc said that the recovery is about 4 weeks total. The surgery is less than 2 hours. Our surgeon wanted to do the surgery before she was a year old.
Anyway, if I forget to post about her surgery after it, pm me and I will tell you how the surgery and recovery went.
We will have our DS extra toe removed
because he can't wear anything but certain sandals on that foot. Our Dr. assured us that the surgery is quick and the recovery time in a child that young is really quick. He will have his toe removed when he turns 3.
kept it.
I have an extra thumb on the right hand. My parents waited for me to make my own decision whether or not to get it removed and in the end I decided to keep it. This may be the exception, but never was I teased, bullied, or otherwise marginalized because of it.
I have been teased, bullied, and otherwise marginalized for other reasons, but never for the thumb.
In fact, most people I've encountered have been very positive about the extra thumb.
Re: kept it.
in many parts of the world, polydactyly is a desirable mutation and the digits are kept. in india, there is a very large and distinguished family where all the members have extra digits and they try to select mates that will ensure this trait is passed on.
in the religion of santeria, extra fingers denote priesthood status, even from birth. a baby born w/ extra fingers is considered to be a great healer.
biblically, ppl w/ extra fingers and toes were said to have resulted from angels mating w/ human women. the offspring were 'warlike giants' w/ extra fingers and toes, goliath was such a one.
in our case, the pinky finger was not properly attached (dangled from a thick string of skin) and so had to be removed right away so it didn't get caught in anything. the toe we have seen 3 different specialists about. 1 plastic surgeon and 2 pediatric orthopedic surgeons. they all tell us the extra long bone into the ankle is the problem. it is too crowded and will rub as jonah puts more weight on it, eventually causing bone spurs, bursitis or arthritis. i hate to remove it, but i can see also that it will always be getting broken as he runs around and bumps it into things, it almost sticks straight out to the side as he stands.
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