Nip/Tuck Treats Ectrodactyly with Precision/Care

One of the most dramatic storylines of this season's Nip/Tuck boiled to a head last night. Dr. Sean McNamara performed surgery on his son Conor, who was born earlier this season with ectrodactyly, also known as Split Hand/Split Foot Malformation and the negatively-coined phrase Lobster Claw syndrome.

So just how common is Conor's condition? And can it really be corrected with surgery?

There are many types and combinations of ectrodactyly deformities and they range widely in severity, but it's generally characterized by the complete or partial absence of some fingers or toes. The word ectrodactyly is derived from the Greek ektroma (abortion) and daktylos (finger), which literally means abortion of a finger. In Conor McNamara's case, his fingers appear to be joined together, which is known as syndactyly. It is the most common congenital abnormality of the hand, occurring at a rate of 1 per 2000-2500 births.

As for treatment, it's a weighty subject that touches upon strong ethical questions. Nip/Tuck handled this well with a nice flashback of Sean as a child (SPOILER warning for those still storing this on TiVo). It turns out he was tormented by other children because he was born with a cleft lip, a shocking revelation that shed light on why he wanted to perform Conor's surgery so quickly. "All I want for him is to be normal," he said. This served as a stark contrast to Julia's misgivings about performing an invasive and possibly painful (she thinks) surgery on her newborn child.

It should be noted that people born with ectrodactyly can and do live normal lives. In fact, actress and activist Bree Walker, who appeared earlier this season on Nip/Tuck as a confident woman with ectrodactyly, is living proof. That wasn't a special effect. She's become a hero of sorts to people with disabilities. For 20 years, she was a television newscaster in Southern California and later acted on the HBO program Carnivale.

Syndactyly can be treated with surgery; this is called a "syndactyly release." The procedure involves surgically separating the fingers and performing skin grafts to close the incisions. One thing I noticed watching the show is that Sean performed zigzag incisions instead of straight lines, and it turns out that is the proper technique. Kudos to the writers for getting these minor details correct. Further information about the procedure can be found here.

Keep in mind that this does not correct the condition. It merely improves function and appearance, and the results are usually pretty good. Conor will continue to have some form of ectrodactyly and there's a chance of recurrence, so you can be certain this storyline will continue to add an emotional 'oomph' to this deeply superficial show.

This Week's CC: Dr. Smith Responds

So on a lighter note, Grey did delve into the ole IUD (Intrauterine device) getting hooked on the genital piercing, which led to a couple staying connected for a little longer than they intended.

An IUD is placed inside the uterus, but it is possible for it to slip out of the uterus and into the vagina without realizing it. This can lead to pregnancy in women with an IUD because they are no longer protected.

Of course throw in the piercing and you could have a real mess. Could it happen? Sure. Why not? "Do they still use IUDs?" Yep, they do.

And IUDs are a very effective form of birth control, particularly for women in a monogamous relationship as IUDs do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

And I can't underestimate the need for both men and women to protect themselves against STDs, which are at epidemic proportions.

Nearly two million people get chlamydia or gonorrhea each year. Genital herpes, which is an incurable, life-long infection, affects about 20% of all Americans! And unless you and your partner are using a condom, you're dealing with danger.

What can I say? I'm passionate about prevention and screening - whether it's breast cancer or STDs. While some things happen no matter what steps you take, doesn't it make you feel better that you're at least doing what you can to stay healthy?

This Week's Crazy Condition: Stuck On You

Yes, yes it's me -- Kathy_WebMD -- the one who wonderded if a woman could pass on breast cancer by nursing her child. Random thoughts, but how awesome to have a doc nearby to bounce them off of!

Here's my next thing: Grey's always seems to have the Crazy Condition of the Week, so to speak. This week was no exception.

...ahem....

How do you end up having sex with an ex-husband, and what special circle of hell are in you in if you get stuck together?

Could this really happen? And who uses IUDs anymore, really? I thought that was a birth control method from the 1970's? And piercings -- to each his own -- but that whole scenerio just made me squirm in my seat.

The other thing: Continuing a relationship with your ex-husband and should you feel gulity about it? That's a question for WebMD's Sex Health expert, Louanne Cole Weston, PhD.

Don't Lump It : Get It Checked

As soon as a woman on Grey's Anatomy announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer while breastfeeding, Kathy_WebMD was pinging me via AIM. "Can she give breast cancer to her baby??"

I have to say that thought never came to mind, but what an intriguing question. The simple answer is "no." You can't pass cancerous cells to someone else.

And thankfully breast cancer in young women is relatively rare.

But unfortunately is does happen - and may go undetected for longer periods because women- and their doctors - are less likely to suspect breast cancer at such a young age.

So the real lesson here is that if you have a breast lump, don't ignore it! The woman on Grey's thought she had a clogged milk duct, which is a common complication in breastfeeding women.

But regardless of your circumstance, finding a lump should mean an immediate trip to your doctor, particularly if it doesn't go away within a couple of weeks.

No doubt about it that hearing "You have cancer," is a scary thing for anyone. But what's even scarier is hearing, "You have advanced cancer." You are your own best advocate.

Denial is an amazing phenomenon that often keeps people away from their doctor. But with so many diseases, the earlier you diagnose the problem, the better chance of curing it - or at least treating it before it gets worse.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and no time better than the present for women to get in the habit of regular breast cancer screening -if they're not already. This means a monthly self breast exam, an annual breast exam by your doctor, and regular mammograms after the age of 40. This can save your life.

M&Ms: Not Just Chocolate Candies

Welcome to our new blog. Let's get started, shall we...

One of the things I love about medical shows is their ability to introduce hospital vernacular with such spunk and conviction that they instantly penetrate the pop culture landscape. Grey's Anatomy perfected this art with last season's superb post-Super Bowl episode, "Code Black" (remember the one with Meredith's hand holding a bomb in some poor guy's chest?). That episode sent viewers flocking to the internet to find out what these hospital codes mean. Code Black=Bomb. Code Blue=Heart Attack.

In last night's episode, Grey's introduced a new phrase: M&M. This is a monthly meeting of the entire medical staff to discuss the details of patients who died. The interns are excited to be invited to their first M&M -- they even brought snacks! According to a sign posted on the door, M&M stands for "Morbidity and Mortality" (I had to pause my TiVo).

So is this M&M thing for real? Yep. Hospitals and medical organizations produce Morbidity and Mortality reports all the time. The CDC posts a weekly Morbidity and Mortality online. There's even a podcast. This government health site posts a monthly report chronicling the previous month's top cases, interesting stuff such as this: A woman admitted for heart and respiratory failure is mistakenly given penicillamine (a chelating agent) rather than penicillin (an antibiotic). Yikes.

Hospitals, like fictional Seattle Grace, host regular M&M conferences too. At Stanford University Medical Center, urology students attend Morbidity and Mortality Rounds every third Monday at 7:15 AM. I'm guessing it's not quite as dramatic as last night's Grey's Anatomy.