The role of reconstructive microsurgery in treating lower-extremity chronic wounds.

Frequently considered chronic wounds for reconstruction are wounds lacking healing progress despite good wound care. And those needing microsurgical reconstruction are chronic wounds that are unable to close by local flap or skin grafts, wounds with exposed vital structure such as tendon and bones, and wounds that have prolonged infections such as osteomyelitis and skin necrosis. The reconstruction for soft tissue defects not only aims to provide coverage but to restore function and acceptable form as well. Wound preparation prior to microsurgical reconstruction consists of improving or restoring vascular supply, stabilising skeletal structures, and obtaining clinically clean wounds. Microsurgery is a surgical discipline that combines magnification with a advanced microscope, specialised precision tools, and various operating techniques. Thus microsurgery allows flap to be transferred far from the donor site restoring form and function to areas of the body that have lost skin, fat, muscle movement, and/or skeletal support. Microsurgery has expanded reconstructive surgery's elements and strategies and is still evolving. Along with the multidisciplinary approach and good principle of wound care, the repair and restoration strategies using microsurgery have widened the possibilities for limb salvage from complex chronic wounds.