Microsurgery is one of the most dramatic ways in which the microscope has altered medicine. As the name implies, microsurgery repairs extremely small sections of the body, such as blood vessels and nerves. Doctors who perform it use special surgical microscopes and extremely small instruments.

Microsurgery is one example of the practical application of microscopes to medicine. In other words, it is a form of applied, hands-on microscopy. Some areas of biomedical research that rely on microscopes, such as genetic research, might yield useful results only after years of expensive research and many false starts. In contrast, microsurgery provides both doctors and patients alike with immediate, tangible results. Right away, they can see the fruits of their efforts. Assuming all goes well, there will be quick, significant improvements in the patient's health and well-being.

Tiny Operations

Some microsurgical procedures are relatively simple...