[Surgery of the hand--a medical duty (author's transl)].

The considerable technical progress in surgery of the hand, especially in the field of microsurgery which made replantation of detached fingers possible, may give the impression that hand surgery is primarily a technical discipline. It is intended to show that besides the technique, surgery of the hand includes many other important factors such as assessing the natural facts and taking into account the biological possibilities. But especially important is concern for the patient. This doctor-patient relationship in hand surgery is decisive for the result.