title: Barcelona consensus on supermicrosurgery.
abstract: The popularity of supermicrosurgery has increased dramatically over the past few years, but the lack of agreement regarding the name of the technique and its applications has caused misunderstandings among microsurgeons when trying to communicate and compare surgical procedures. We report the consensus reached on the name used to refer to supermicrosurgery techniques following the First European Conference on Supramicrosurgery held in Barcelona (Spain) on March 4-5, 2010. Present applications, advantages, and disadvantages of supermicrosurgery are discussed. It was agreed that supermicrosurgery was the most accurate name to reflect the essence of this extremely delicate technique. According to Koshima, supermicrosurgery is a technique of microneurovascular anastomosis for vessels of 0.3 to 0.8 mm and single nerve fascicles. The range of applications for this technique has increased rapidly and now includes lymphedema treatment, nerve reconstruction, replantation and reconstruction of amputated fingertips, microsurgical flap salvage, and new possibilities for free tissue transfer. Supermicrosurgery is a remarkably useful reconstructive tool that involves a great deal of skill and has a steep learning curve for the microsurgeon to master. Although it is currently performed by only a minority of microsurgeons, we consider it will be incorporated into conventional microsurgery in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masia
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Tokyo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinky, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suominen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Gent Universitu Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Landuyt
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Demirtas
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic surgery, Hospital Europeen Georges Pompidou of Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, European Institute of Oncology Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garusi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Tokyo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitsunaga
mesh_terms: D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000601:surgery; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005385:Fingers / Q000601:surgery; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000601:surgery*; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012092:Replantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps