The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road, SW1W 8RH London
Reconstructive microsurgery
DELICATE PROCEDURES TO RESTORE FORM AND FUNCTION OF TISSUE
Microsurgical techniques can repair tissue, nerves and blood vessels after cancer treatment, trauma or birth defects
What is microsurgery?
Microsurgery is a specialised surgical discipline involving the use of microscope magnification to perform intricate operations.
Microsurgical procedures range from reattaching a finger to transplanting bone or muscle to restoring facial features or reconstructing breast tissue following a mastectomy.
Need to know
The procedure you have will depend on the area of your body being operated on and whether reconstruction is needed because of trauma, a congenital disorder (birth defect) or treatment for cancer.
Microsurgery allows your surgeon to reattach delicate blood vessels and nerves to restore the appearance and function of the repaired tissue. If skin grafts or transplanted tissue, bone or cartilage is necessary, this may be taken from elsewhere on your body.
Sometimes donor tissue can also be used. Because microsurgical procedures are often complex, operations can take many hours or several sessions to complete.
Your consultant will assess your injury or condition and recommend the best surgical approach to restore the function and cosmetic appearance of the area. They'll explain the procedure to you and answer any questions you may have.
Because your procedure is likely to be done under general anaesthetic, they will let you know how long you should avoid eating and drinking before surgery.
Depending on the complexity of your operation, you may be cared for in hospital for several days following surgery. Your consultant will let you know what to expect. Your consultant will let you know when you can get back to your usual routine after surgery.
Self-funding
Paying for medical treatment
You don't need medical insurance to have fast access to our top consultants, extensive range of treatments, diagnostic tests and surgical procedures at our leading facilities.
Our Reconstructive microsurgery locations
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
The Wellington Hospital
8A Wellington Place NW8 9LE London
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Princess Grace Hospital
42-52 Nottingham Place W1U 5NY London
The Shard Outpatients
The Shard, 32 St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David’s gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist, former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.