What is microsurgery and limb reimplantation?
It is a field in which techniques for the repair of nerves and blood vessels are applied, allowing the reconstruction of damaged, amputated or missing structures through the transplantation of other structures of the body itself.
What does it consist of?
In the repair and reconstruction of limbs through the transplantation of other structures of the patient’s body.
The idea is to provide tissues similar to those to be replaced, although the following aspects will have to be evaluated:
- Location.
- Size and depth of the lesion.
In order to reconstruct the amputated segments, microsurgical techniques are used, which require the use of systems of optimum magnitude such as microscopes.
Considerations of the operation
Before making the decision, it is important to consider the patient’s state of health, the type of injury mechanism and the level of amputation.
On the other hand, it should be kept in mind that this is a prolonged surgical procedure, which requires considerable time given the complexity of the operation.
For this reason, special attention must be paid to the patient during the operation to avoid hypothermia or fluid loss, as well as to prevent stasis problems.
In what cases is microsurgery and limb reimplantation used?
Amputations usually affect the upper extremities to a greater extent than the lower extremities.
However, some of the causes that can lead to the partial or total loss of a limb are:
- Amputation due to “dismemberment”.
- Amputation by “wrenching”.
- Amputation due to biting.
- Amputation by “grinding”.
What is the postoperative period like?
It will depend on the level of amputation and the intervention performed. In any case, after the postoperative period, the vascular status of the reimplanted segment should be evaluated frequently during the first hours after surgery.
Some indicators:
- Color of the implanted limb.
- Temperature.
If the patient has no complications, he/she will be able to leave the hospital after the first two weeks.
Rehabilitation
After a reimplantation it is necessary to exercise it so that it fulfills the desired function.
For example, after the reimplantation of a finger of the hand, it will be necessary to work so that it acquires mobility and recovers sensibility and its function.