Current trends in the surgical management of Dupuytren’s disease in Europe: the surgeon’s perspective

INTRODUCTION: Dupuytren’s disease (DD), commonly affecting European men, is generally treated with surgery. METHODS: Orthopaedic and plastic surgeons who had been practicing for >3 and <30 years and operated on ≥5 patients with DD between September and December 2008 were surveyed in 12 European countries (Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK). The survey assessed procedures performed, factors influencing choice of procedure, use of physical therapy and recurrence. Descriptive statistics are reported. RESULTS: A total of 687 surgeons participated, including 579 orthopaedic and 108 plastic surgeons; 383 (56%) were hand surgeons. About 37% of surgeons performed percutaneous needle fasciotomy (PNF), 77% fasciotomy, 95% fasciectomy and 40% dermofasciectomy (DF). Surgeons’ choice of procedure was influenced by patient preferences, age, degree of contracture and recurrent disease. The percentage of surgeons prescribing physical therapy and the mean (standard deviation [SD]) duration of therapy increased with procedure complexity: PNF = 82%, 5.2 (3.9) weeks; fasciotomy = 94%, 5.3 (3.6); fasciectomy = 97%, 6.7 (5.1); and DF = 99%, 8.5 (6.4). Using survey responses, mean (SD) estimated recurrence rates decreased and estimated time to recurrence increased with procedure complexity—PNF = 44% (27%), 17 (15) months; fasciotomy = 30% (24%), 20 (18); fasciectomy = 20% (17%), 29 (23); and DF = 20% (19%), 33 (27). CONCLUSIONS: Across Europe, patient and surgical factors influence the intention to use a surgical procedure. Fasciectomy was the most commonly performed procedure type and was associated with lower recurrence than PNF or fasciotomy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12570-012-0091-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.