I am a hand surgeon and have for many years treated children with congenital deformities of their hands and arms. I find working with children very rewarding, helping the children to cope despite of their challenges is often an amazing journey. In the treatment my colleagues and I try to help the children get the best possible use of their extremities and cosmesis is often a secondary concern.
When surgery is needed the children are often operated as toddlers.
Wearing a bandage is challenging because the children often struggle to accept the bandage.
In the past we tried many things, an above elbow cast was a popular choice since the children couldn’t get out of the cast. The disadvantage being that the child’s use of the hand and arm was significantly reduced even for minor surgeries.
We now use a bandage that is soft and glued on to the skin. It looks like a mitten and allows the child better movement. The child can’t get the bandage off and no dirt or sand can get in reducing the risk of infection. Once I painted a cat on the bandage it was an instant success. When the parents can see that you made an effort in the creation of a “child friendly bandage” they tend to assume that you made the same effort with the surgery. The children are very fond of the cat and will talk to the new “pet” and are often sad when the bandage is removed
I follow the children as they grow up and the cat bandage is remembered and cherished.
I have attached a picture of the bandage as an inspiration and a photo of a drawing, a gift from a patient.
Karina Hansen