ABSTRACT
Introduction The hand is capable of coordinated activity finer than the eye can direct. With
the aid of magnification, the true capability o f the hand can be exploited. As a tool for the plastic surgeon, microsurgery has allowed reconstructions that were simply not possible before. However, microvascular free tissue transfer is not a technique for the occasional microsurgeon. The catastrophic complication of flap failure looms over every microsurgical case; therefore, expertise in the execution of a free flap as well as its postoperative surveillance is key to a successful outcome.
