[Dupuytren's disease in advanced age. Treatment strategy and results]

The results recorded from 1,322 surgical cases of Dupuytren's contracture of all severities have shown that successful treatment is possible even of patients in advanced age. The concept of surgery and treatment on an outpatient basis was applied to 86.6 per cent of the above cases, with local anaesthesia being used, and has proved to be absolutely adequate, provided high-continuity care by surgeons experienced in hand surgery. Results, prerequisites, and advantages are described in a differentiated manner.