title: The contributions of microvascular surgery to emergency hand surgery.
abstract: Microvascular surgery has revolutionized the field of emergency hand surgery in the areas of replantation and microvascular transplantation. Amputated parts from as small as a distal phalanx to the entire extremity can now be successfully replanted and unreplanted, or missing parts can be restored and reconstructed with immediate microvascular transplants (MVTs). MVTs can be used to cover exposed vital structures and replace missing complex parts. Part or whole digits can be reconstructed, with up to 4 toe transplants. Joints, bones, and muscles can be replaced with osteocutaneous and neuromyovascular transplants. Using the same approach for multiple replants, teams of 4 to 6 surgeons operating simulatneously and sequentially around the clock can accomplish multiple microvascular transplants in the acute setting. The classical principle of hand surgery, "preserve length and function", can now be modified to "restore length and function."
authors.affiliation: Microsurgical Replantation Transplantation Department, Davies Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94402.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Buncke
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Buncke
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lineaweaver
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Alpert
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Hing
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Siko
mesh_terms: D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000601:surgery; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D004630:Emergencies; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D012092:Replantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014034:Toes / Q000637:transplantation; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures