It is a little commoner in boys. In about one third of cases, there is another member of the family with the same condition. When surgery is required, it is my preference to correct most problems soon after the age of 6 months. This is both to spare children from teasing and to allow for best function of the hands. The children must be big enough for the anaesthetic to be as safe as possible.
Early correction allows for normal development of hand function.
It prevents the development of permanent deformities due to the effects of growth. The children are still young enough not to remember the operation. The operation involves splitting the fingers using a zigzag cut. This reduces the chances of recurrent webbing due to contraction of the scar. A new web-space is created using a flap of skin taken from the back of the fingers.