Little Girl, 3, With 14 Fingers Has Life-Changing Op

Story ByJohn FengSub EditorJoseph GolderAgencyAsia Wire Report

This girl born with 14 fingers – including two extra thumbs on each hand – has had life-changing surgery to correct the birth defect which goes back five generations.

The three-year-old child, whose full name has not been reported, was treated at the Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College by its hand surgery specialist Zhan Jie.

According to the facility located in China’s north-eastern province of Liaoning, similar defects had been observed in members of the girl’s extended family going back five generations.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire/Shenyang Medical College & AsiaWire

However, due to financial restraints, none ever sought medical treatment for the condition.

The toddler’s parents reportedly consulated numerous hospitals and medical professionals before settling on Doctor Zhan, who promised his procedure would not affect the child’s development, and would preserve both the function and aesthetics of her hands.

The medic revealed: “The girl had two extra fingers on each hand – quite a rare patient.

“The surgery was complicated by the fact that the fingers we wanted to keep and those we wanted to remove weren’t clear and obvious.

“Besides removing the extra digits, we also needed to make corrections to the angle.”

Images taken prior to the operation show two extra digits growing from each of her unusual elongated thumbs.

Doctor Zhan and his team were not only able to remove the extra digits, they also straightened her thumbs and redirected the bone growth with the help of metal rods.

The surgeons have now rid the girl of her birth defect as well any potential stigma associated with the condition, forever changing her childhood.

“It’s been a month since the operation. She came back after two weeks to have her sutures removed,” Doctor Zhan said.

He added: “Both we and the patient’s family are satisfied with the appearance of her hands.”

Doctor Zhan did not say whether the girl would require follow-up surgery in the future for minor corrections.