NINGBO, China – An 8-month-old Chinese boy has undergone the first of three surgeries to correct a rare defect wherein he was born with 31 fingers and toes.
Parents of the boy, who is being called Hong Hong and Yuan Yuan, say they were reluctant to seek medical help for the boy’s condition due to the expected cost. But the hospital has agreed to waive most of the fees for his care until he reaches the age of 16.
This Chinese baby was born with 15 fingers and 16 toes
Doctors at No. 6 Hospital in Ningbo City, in East China’s Zhejiang province, agreed to lower the cost of his treatment, which could be as high as about $75,000 in the country.
The boy will require numerous surgeries in the coming years to remove the extra digits and correct the problems they cause.
He suffers from polydactyly, which leads to extra digits, but doctors say this boy’s case is rare due to the number of extra fingers and toes he has.
The boy’s surgeries will involve cutting off then reshaping his digits. Surgeons plan to operate on his bones, joints, skin and nails, as well as his critical veins. Doctors predict a lengthy and rigorous recovery regime, Asia Wire Report reported. They have already operated on his feet.
The doctors plan to finish the surgery series by the time he begins school.
