Reader Tran Xuan Son sent a question to the Neurosurgery - Spine section, with the content: "My family member was advised to undergo microsurgery to reconstruct a finger due to an accident that partially severed it. Could you please explain this method to me?"
Answering the question, Master, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Hao, Orthopedic Trauma specialist, Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital said that microplastic surgery is an advanced technique that not only retains the finger but also helps restore the function of the damaged part for the patient, if performed within the "golden time" of 3-6 hours after the injury.
What is microplastic surgery?
Microsurgery is one of the most advanced achievements of modern medicine, allowing doctors to reconstruct severely damaged body parts. This technique uses a surgical microscope capable of magnifying hundreds of times, allowing doctors to precisely suture microscopic structures such as blood vessels, nerves, tendons, muscles, or even bones with a size of only a few millimeters. This precision is the key factor in restoring function and aesthetics to damaged parts.
In many cases, microplastic surgery does not stop at reconnecting torn tissues but also includes autologous tissue grafting. The surgeon can take skin, muscle, tendon, or bone from another area of the patient’s body (such as the thigh, arm) to reconstruct the damaged part. This ensures both function (movement, sensation) and natural appearance, helping the patient avoid long-term consequences such as limb loss or deformity.
When do doctors prescribe microsurgery?
Amputation or partial amputation of a limb: Including fingers, toes, hands, feet due to work accidents, domestic accidents, or traffic accidents.
Complex injury: Tendons, nerves, and blood vessels are severely damaged and cannot be restored by conventional surgical methods.
Cover large defects: when a free flap is needed to cover soft tissue, avoiding exposure of tendons, joints, nerves, and blood vessels.
Post-tumor resection plastic and functional reconstruction: Restoring shape and function to body parts after removal of malignant tumors.
Burns or birth defects: Using grafts to regenerate lost skin, muscle, or bone.
Golden time: Surgery needs to be performed within 3-6 hours after injury to ensure that tissue and blood vessels are still able to reperfuse, avoiding necrosis.
Dr. Hao said: “Time is a vital factor. If the golden time is exceeded, the possibility of saving the limb is significantly reduced, and the damaged part may even have to be amputated to avoid infection or necrosis.”
In cases of partially amputated fingers, microsurgery offers three outstanding benefits:
Finger preservation: The doctor stitches tiny blood vessels to allow blood to continue circulating, helping the damaged finger to continue receiving blood, avoiding amputation.
Rehabilitation: Reconnecting tendons and nerves helps the finger regain mobility, grip, and sensation, thereby maintaining daily function.
Optimum aesthetics: Small incision, minimal scarring, and autologous tissue grafting technique help preserve the natural shape of the finger, minimizing the risk of deformity.
“For your family member, if the partially severed finger is treated within the golden period, the chance of saving the finger is very high. If microsurgery is not performed, the risk of necrosis will force the doctor to amputate the limb, leading to permanent loss of the finger and greatly affecting the quality of life,” said Dr. Hao.
The patient had an accident and severed the artery in his foot. Doctors successfully treated him, saving his limb and restoring his mobility with microsurgery and plastic surgery (Photo: BVCC).
Notes when choosing microplastic surgery
Comply with postoperative care: Maintain posture, use painkillers as prescribed by your doctor, monitor capillary blood flow, skin color, temperature, tissue tension in the grafted area, avoid vasoconstriction (keep warm, do not use vasoconstrictors), because this is a decisive factor for success.
Monitor for complications: Early detection of signs of infection, necrosis, and embolism.
Physical therapy exercises: To restore movement, flexibility, and sensation to the fingers.
Professional skills and modern equipment: Microsurgery requires highly skilled doctors, ultra-small microsurgical instruments and a complete operating room. If fully met, the success rate can be up to 70-90% under optimal conditions, especially when the patient is promptly rescued and receives intensive post-operative care.
According to Dr. Hao, the Orthopedic Trauma Department of Nam Saigon International General Hospital has applied microsurgical techniques in many difficult emergency cases, helping to preserve limbs for the patient's body.
A victim had his foot artery severed by a lawn mower. The team performed emergency microsurgery during the “golden hour” to reconnect the blood vessels and save the patient’s foot.
In another case, a team of doctors worked overnight to reattach a severed hand to a 32-year-old patient. After treatment, the hand was preserved both physically and functionally.
These successes demonstrate the particularly important role of microplastic surgery, not only in treating severe trauma but also in restoring function and quality of life for patients.
Dr. Hao emphasized that in cases where a finger is partially severed in an accident, microplastic surgery is the best solution. If performed promptly and with proper post-operative care, the possibility of restoring movement to the finger is very promising.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/cuu-chi-bi-dut-lia-nho-ky-thuat-cao-20251012224821544.htm
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