History and Recent Advances in Microsurgery

Since the late 19th century, microsurgery has achieved many miracles in history of surgery. With the development of microsurgical instruments and techniques, especially the first operating microscope invented by Carl Zeiss in 1953, the limitations steadily decreased and finally reached a limitless level of today’s supermicrosurgery. The chronological history of microsurgery can be divided into four periods: the beginning period of the late 19th to early 20th century when the essential microsurgical tools and concepts were established; the successful replantation of amputated extremities in the 1960s; the development of various kinds of flap in the 1980s; and the fully-matured period of today. This article reviews the milestones in the history of microsurgery, evaluates the recent advances, as well as microsurgery in Korea.