Safety and Cost-Effectiveness of In-Office Digital Mucous Cyst Excisions

Area of Science:

• Hand Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Dermatologic Surgery

Background:

• Digital mucous cysts are common distal interphalangeal joint lesions.
• Conservative treatments include steroid injections and aspirations.
• Surgical excision is an option for refractory cases, with a trend towards office-based procedures due to cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of in-office digital mucous cyst excision.
• To determine the success rate and complication profile of office-based procedures.
• To compare the cost of in-office versus hospital-based surgical excision.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing in-office digital mucous cyst excision.
• Data collected included patient demographics, perioperative symptoms, and outcomes.
• Analysis focused on success rate, recurrence, and postoperative infection/complication rates.

Main Results:

• Sixty-seven patients underwent in-office excision with a 95.5% success rate; 3 patients experienced recurrence.
• Symptom resolution occurred in 89.4% by 2 weeks and 100% by 12 weeks.
• The cost of in-office excision was 8.5 times lower than hospital-based procedures, with a 10.4% infection rate (mostly superficial).

Conclusions:

• In-office digital mucous cyst excision is a cost-effective, safe, and successful treatment.
• The procedure demonstrates a low recurrence rate, manageable infection rate, and high patient satisfaction.
• Office-based surgery offers a viable alternative to traditional operating room procedures for digital mucous cysts.