What is microsurgery and why is it important for lymphatic surgery?
Microsurgery describes the exacting techniques used by specialized surgeons to manipulate tiny blood and lymphatic vessels. It is the use of microsurgery that makes surgical treatment of lymphatic conditions possible.
The manipulation and repair of the tiny blood vessels, such as arteries and veins, allows the movement of large amounts of tissue from one part of the body to another. It has revolutionized field of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and gives a skilled microsurgeon a much wider range of options than ever before possible.
During a mircosurgical procedure, small blood vessels, including both at least one artery and vein, which are attached to tissue to be moved from one part of the body to the other are dissected free from the surrounding tissue.
These small vessels then are attached under with the help of the operating microscope to other vessels at the recipient site using very fine instruments and sutures or vessel coupling devices.
The blood vessels are typically 1mm to 4 mm in size and the sutures used are usually smaller in diameter than the average human hair (see photo below). The vessels allow the body to provide the blood supply needed by the transferred tissue to integrate into the body at its new location.
Microsurgical techniques can also be used to connect lymphatic vessels to veins in lymphaticovenous anastomoses to allow the lymph fluid to drain from the affected area.
Not all plastic surgeons routinely perform microsurgery. Most that do often have had additional, specialized training in these techniques.
Your physician will be glad to share his or her experience in microsurgery with you, and it would be extremely unusual for a Board Certified physician to be offended about questions regarding their experience with any type of procedure, microsurgery or otherwise.
Size Comparison: Microsurgical needles and suture next to a human hair and a
ballpoint pen tip as seen through the operating microscope.
In The Operating Room: Surgeons Jay Granzow, MD and Robert Allen, MD seen
joining vessels during perforator flap breast reconstruction using the operating microscope.
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