Sex, Drugs, and Public Health

Look closely at her picture.  At her hands.

She came to us with congenitally misplaced digits on both hands and with mild club foot deformities.

The hand surgeon had me translate for the mother.  He said he might not have time to do both hands and feet. With which hand or foot did she want him to begin?

She said she’d noticed the girl drawing and playing with preference for her left hand. So the left hand was most important. As long as she wore shoes, she could walk without crying.

The surgeon did a “tendon and pulley reconstruction” in her hand using a plastic tube, giving her improved finger function.