Reconstructive Microsurgery

Reconstructive microsurgery is a surgical discipline that uses specialized operating microscopes and precision instrumentation to repair complex structures such as blood vessels and nerves that are smaller than a few millimeters in diameter.

Microsurgery is a type of surgery that involves transplanting a patient’s own tissue (sometimes skin, fat, muscle or bone) to rebuild another part of the body. This is most often needed when areas of tissue are injured or removed during surgery, usually after trauma or cancer treatment.

Examples in reconstructive plastic surgery include cleft lip and palate repair, breast reconstruction after lumpectomy or mastectomy for breast cancer, and reconstructive surgery after burn injuries.

Microsurgical tissue transfer involves using excess skin and fat (flaps) from a distant location to reconstruct the breast. Most often, tissues are transferred from the abdomen and buttocks. Less commonly, thigh flaps are used. These operations can provide durable, aesthetic reconstructions.