BABY BORN WITH HIS FINGERS FUSED TOGETHER UNDERGOES TWO RISKY SURGERIES — THEN HIS FAMILY SEES FIVE SEPARATE FINGERS

When Heather welcomed her twins, Ellie and Beau, she expected to spend the first few hours celebrating the arrival of her babies.

Ellie was born first. Three hours later, Beau arrived.

But when nurses placed her newborn son on her chest, Heather immediately noticed something unusual about his left hand.

Instead of five separate fingers, his tiny digits appeared fused together.

The joyful moment suddenly became filled with questions about what the difference could mean for Beau’s future.

A Rare Condition Discovered at Birth

While Heather recovered from delivery, her husband, Steven, began searching for specialists who could help their son.

He found Dr. Apurva Shah, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who specializes in congenital hand differences.

Within one week of Beau’s birth, the family traveled to CHOP for an evaluation.

Following a detailed examination, doctors diagnosed Beau with Poland syndrome.

His Hand Was Not the Only Part Affected

Poland syndrome is a congenital condition that can affect the development of muscles and structures on one side of the body.

In Beau’s case, it caused a complex hand difference known as symbrachydactyly.

Several fingers on his left hand were fused, and some of the underlying bones were severely underdeveloped.

He was also missing part of his pectoralis major chest muscle, while the bones in his left forearm were shorter than those in his right arm.

His parents learned that treatment would need to focus on helping Beau achieve the greatest possible use of his affected hand.

A Difficult Decision With a Serious Risk

Dr. Shah recommended reconstructive surgery to separate Beau’s fingers and improve hand function.

However, the procedure carried a significant risk.

Because one of Beau’s fingers was so underdeveloped, there was a possibility that he could lose it during reconstruction.

Heather and Steven carefully considered the decision.

They ultimately chose surgery, hoping to give their son the best possible opportunity to interact with the world using his left hand.

Two Operations to Reconstruct His Tiny Hand

Beau returned to CHOP for a follow-up appointment when he was nine months old.

At age one, he underwent his first reconstructive operation.

During this procedure, Dr. Shah separated Beau’s thumb and divided his middle and ring fingers.

Six months later, Beau underwent a second operation to separate the remaining fused fingers.

By the end of the two procedures, he had five separate digits on his left hand.

Five Fingers and a Childhood Full of Possibilities

In CHOP’s patient-story update, Beau was two years old and had five well-functioning digits.

He continued attending physical therapy appointments near his home every few months, with annual follow-up visits planned at CHOP.

His surgeon was pleased with the healing and function of his reconstructed hand.

Meanwhile, Beau was enjoying the activities of an energetic toddler.

He loved playing with cars and trucks, dancing, singing songs and spending time with his twin sister Ellie and older brother Brady.

For his parents, the most meaningful outcome was seeing their son explore the world with improved use of the hand that had looked so different on the day he was born.

Source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “Surgical Reconstruction for Poland Syndrome: Beau’s Story.”