Microsurgical Techniques

Abstract

Since any infection will directly affect the surgical outcome, the principle of aseptic technique is a principle which must be strictly enforced. The microsurgery operation is relatively complex, has longer operative time and a wider surgical field, and often involves more than two surgical fields, so that the opportunities of wound exposure and infection are increased. Especially in tissue transplantation, the transplanted tissue is a piece of ischemic tissue, and its resistance to infection certainly will be reduced before reestablishment of the blood supply. Therefore, the aseptic techniques must be strictly adhered to during microscopic plastic surgery. Once the transplanted tissue is infected, all previous efforts will be wasted. Not only will the transplanted tissue be infected and necrotized but also will the receptor site be damaged, so that the patients lose the only opportunity for repair and reconstruction. When repairing or closing a fresh wound, the operators have to strictly adhere to aseptic techniques, and the contaminated wound should be treated to become the clean wound, so that the skin graft or skip flap can survive completely to ensure the recovery of local functions. When performing the surgery in the face involving sites such as the nose, eyes, and mouth, it is difficult for the operators to make the local area absolutely sterile, but the preoperative preparation for the skin and mouth should be carried out, and at least it should be ensured that the exogenous source of infection would not be introduced into the surgical field during surgery.