Most birth defects of the hand -- from syndactyly to short, missing or deformed fingers or abnormalities of the nerves, blood vessels or tendons -- can be significantly improved with surgery.

The hand surgeons at the Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Center Hand Program are specially trained and highly experienced not only in the delicate techniques required to correct these defects but also in working with infants and young children.

In common conditions such as syndactyly, where two or more fingers may be fused, the surgeon will cut the connecting tissue to separate the fingers. He or she will then graft skin from other parts of the body to cover the area that was fused. This surgery, however, is more complex if the bones are fused as well.

Following the surgery, the infant or child should have a full range of movement and a virtually normal appearance. (In some cases, the grafted skin is a slightly different color than that of the rest of the hand.)

Hand surgery can effectively treat or significantly improve other types of birth defects of the hands as well. As each child and each defect is unique, a hand surgeon can discuss your child's specific case with you in more detail.