To remove cancer, life-changing surgeries and operations are conducted by surgeons. Such cancer treatments or surgeries can affect the patient’s lifestyle or physical appearance by many folds in most cases. This is where reconstructive microsurgery comes in. Plastic surgeons now can assist the patients to bring their normal lifestyle or appearance back via microsurgery.
The procedures which were thought to be impossible before now can be done with the help of microsurgeries. Moreover, the tools that are used in microsurgery are getting improved day by day. They are also being done to reconstruct breasts by creating new cells and tissues after a mastectomy. In a nutshell, almost any part of the body can be reconstructed using this technique.
Defining Microsurgery
This surgery is performed by using a microscope and microsurgical instruments, thus getting the name Microsurgery. The procedure of microsurgery is to rejoin very tiny blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves via small stitches by using precise accurate microsurgical instruments. Such stitches are so small, such that they cannot be seen with the naked eye and are thinner than the hair.
Microsurgery is often in conjunction with other surgeries such as reconstruction or tumor removal. It is revolutionizing the lives of cancer patients and trauma victims by reconstructing complex limbs. Another form of this surgery includes where to fill detect in one part of the body, surgeons take muscle, bone, or skin from another part of the body. It can be performed on almost every part of the body. The transplanted tissue resides in its new place and the blood vessels from the flap are rejoined.
Apart from this, we can use microsurgery for the following:
- By using tissues from the abdomen or other parts of the body, we can reconstruct the breasts of breast cancer patients.
- With the help of radiation therapy, repair damaged skin.
- To help orthopedic cancer patients walk again, we rebuild the leg muscles by using muscles from other parts of the body.
- With fat or skin from the leg or arm, we can rebuild tongues, and to reconstruct the jawline, we can use bones from the shoulder, hip, leg, or arm.
Microsurgery: Improving Lives of Patients
Trauma victims and cancer patients can greatly benefit from microsurgery.
For Neck and Head Cancer Patients
Neck and head cancer patients can be treated with microsurgery. Sometimes, the jaw is to be removed for the patient having cancer in their jaw. To recreate the jaw and bring back the normal appearance and function, microsurgery helps the surgeons to move bones and muscles from the leg or back.
For Trauma Patients
For trauma patients, the quality of life can be improved vastly by using microsurgery. Fractured bones or large and open wounds can be covered with small soft tissues by using microsurgery after an accident. It can help save limbs and also prevents the spread of infection.
For Mastectomy Patients
Microsurgery is also beneficial for mastectomy patients. To reconstruct a breast, tissues from the belly or back can be used for breast reconstruction.
Microsurgery Expectations
Before surgery, it is advised to follow all the pre-surgery instructions and follow a healthy nutritious diet. The result of the microsurgery is not uniform because the effects of cancer and trauma are unique. A helpful method to reach the desired aim is to prepare oneself emotionally that more than one surgery can be conducted. Moreover, in some cases, radiation therapy may also be required after cancer resection, and its influence can change the results of the reconstruction surgery.
For monitoring, the patients who will undergo microsurgery can stay in the hospital for at least five days prior. Moreover, two to three weeks after the operation, patients will have feelings of discomfort and swelling.
Microsurgery has been indeed a revolutionizing tool for surgeons and has a large number of clinical applications that range from transplantations to tissue transfer. It has taken disciplines such as urology, oncology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, oncosurgery, and otolaryngology by storm. It has given the surgeons the ability to serve the patients at their best.
