What is Microsurgery and why is it useful?

 

Microsurgery is basically a technique that allowed the horizons of a surgeon to be extended to unimaginable limits, expanding extraordinarily the scope of surgical procedures. 

Before this, in the operating theatre we were limited to what we could see. With microsurgery the surgeon can assess and respect microstructures such as veins, arteries, nerves and lymphatic vessels. The fact that these elements can only be visualized through the microscope, optical amplifiers and in an operative field of only 2 cm in diameter shall be taken into account.

Microsurgery was initially used in limb reattachment (restitution ‘ad integrum’ of an amputated limb or segment). The first reimplant was performed by Dr. Sen Gupta in 1970, thus beginning a new era in Reconstructive Microsurgery.

The technique in question includes vascular microsurgery (reimplants, tissue transfer - free flaps-, male sexual impotence, oncological surgery, nerve interventions (paralysis), lymphatic intervention (acquired or congenital lymphoedema, lymphology) and finally the microsurgery of microdissection (spinal column, aesthetic surgery).    

As previously noted, the Microsurgery begins as a technique applied in operations of Plastic Surgery, which is why I find it interesting to point out its use within this branch of Medicine.

Plastic Surgery comprises Reconstructive Surgery defined by Guillis as the attempt to restore the normal state of the individual, and Aesthetic Surgery which is an attempt to improve the normal state of an individual. Microsurgery applies to both subspecialties. Among the most common operations we can mention: Limb injuries, sports injuries, spinal column (discopathy), hand and upper limb surgery, post-oncological reconstructions, congenital anomalies, obstructive lymphedemas, among others.