A simple injection has helped a music lover get back to playing the piano again.
David Edmunds had been forced to give up playing and was also starting to have problems with driving after developing a problem that left his hand bent out of shape.
The 80-year-old from Brighton had been told he would need an operation to correct the problem which would mean weeks of recovery.
However medics in East Grinstead used an innovative injection instead and the results have been almost immediate.
Mr Edmunds was suffering from Dupuytren’s Contracture, a common condition in which the cord in the fingers and palm of the hand tighten.
This makes the fingers bend inwards with the patient unable to straighten them.
His left hand became stiff and inflexible but Mr Edmunds was told he would have to wait until the problem got worse before he would be eligible for an NHS operation.
Normally the only option is surgery but the McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead has become one of the first in the country to try the injection instead.
Mr Edmunds had the treatment last month and noticed improvements almost immediately.
Hand surgeon Harry Belcher carried out the procedure.
During surgery, the cord that develops in the hand is removed through an incision.
However the Xiapex injection can dissolve the cord within 24 hours.
Patients are seen the following day for manipulation of their hand to ensure the cord has completely released and the fingers straightened.
Mr Belcher said: “I have been impressed by its efficiency in suitable patients.