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I'm going to have some surgery to help with a stuck finger. My ring finger is bent and won't straighten. I have a condition called Dupuytren's Disease or DD. Will the surgery take care of the problem for good?

You should talk with your surgeon about what to expect after surgery for DD. This condition causes extra tissue to grow and form tight, scar-like cords. These cords pull the fingers into a flexed position like you describe.

Surgery to release and remove the cords can be very helpful. But in some cases the problem comes back and may be worse. Actually, there's a great risk of the disease coming back after surgery. The surgeon will probably tell you surgery isn't a "cure."

You should be very diligent about your stretching exercises after the operation. Some patients wear a splint at night. They may keep it on during the day when they don't need to use the hand to grip things. It's possible you'll need more than one operation to maintain function in that hand over the years.

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