Flying solo: a single year-single surgeon community hospital replantation/ revascularization experience

A recent 12-month review of the emergent replantation/revascularization experience of a solo practice microsurgeon in a community hospital environment is presented. A total of 67 digits and/or hands/limbs were operated on in 51 patients with a success rate of 87 percent. There were nine failures, all in digits with crush-avulsion etiologies. These results support the position that the single microsurgeon practicing in a community hospital environment can provide levels of care for patients with amputated or devascularized digits and parts comparable to tertiary medical centers.