Replantations and their functional results: the Turkish experience

The development of microsurgery with regard to replantation of severed extremities has in Turkey been a relatively recent although rapid process. The first revascularization was performed by our team in Izmir in 1986. By 1988 a 24-hr emergency replantation service was available and a special surgery branch hospital in hand and microsurgery was established in 1991. This hospital was the first of its kind in Turkey and one of the few in the world. Here we present our replantation series comprising 83 patients treated between July, 1986, and December, 1990. From a total of 83 patients, 136 extremities were involved, with only 24 of 136 lost; a success rate of 82%. Functional results were rated as excellent or good in 49 cases.