Microvascular Surgery

Microvascular surgery is the transfer of skin, muscle or bone that is totally freed from the body with the artery and vein to a site needing reconstruction. Blood supply is re-established immediately by suturing the artery and vein to a nearby blood supply. This surgery is performed through the use of a microscope, specialized instruments and tiny needles with ultra fine sutures. Using these techniques, three to five millimeter vessels can be repaired, enabling the reattachment of amputated fingers, hands and arms resulting from accidents or other trauma. This is called replantation surgery.

Free-tissue transfer or free-bone transfer are types of reconstructive microvascular surgical techniques. Free-tissue transfer involves removing muscle with its blood vessels and then transferring the muscle to another location in the body. The muscle's artery and vein are then hooked up to local blood vessels, which re-establishes the muscle's blood supply. This is often done for soft-tissue defects created by trauma or tumor surgery.

Free-bone transfer is the removal of a bone with its blood supply. The bone is then implanted into a large bone defect in another area of the body. Blood supply is re-established by hooking up the bone's artery to local arteries and veins. This procedure is particularly helpful for correcting bone defects created by trauma, tumor surgery or for reconstructing non-healing bones.