Day care surgery for advanced Dupuytren's contracture

Seventy-six consecutive patients suffering from advanced Dupuytren's contracture were analysed in order to evaluate the safety of day care surgery. The complication rates for haematoma, necrosis, infection and reflex sympathetic dystrophy were acceptable, but we found an unacceptably high percentage of nerve lesions. Day care treatment was achieved in all but seven cases. We concluded that advanced Dupuytren's contracture can be treated by day care surgery but the operations should be performed by surgeons who are skilled in hand surgery, and individual selection of patients with recurrence seems advisable.