Clinical Areas
Microsurgery & Functional Reconstruction
Microsurgery is the use of magnification with very fine instruments and sutures to repair or connect extremely small blood vessels and nerves. It is not a single operation but a surgical capability — one that opens the door to reconstructive solutions that are not possible with conventional techniques.
Care is led by Dr. Khalid Almutairi, a consultant plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery and fellowship trained in hand surgery and microsurgery in Canada and the USA.
What does microsurgery make possible?
Microsurgery underpins a range of reconstructive procedures, each assessed individually for suitability:
- Replantation: reattachment of a completely amputated part; and revascularization: restoring circulation to a severely injured part that remains partially attached.
- Free tissue transfer (free flaps): moving skin, muscle, or bone — or combinations of these — from one part of the body to another together with their artery and vein, connected microsurgically at the reconstruction site.
- Toe-to-thumb transfer: creating a functional thumb in selected cases of thumb loss, aiming to restore pinch and grasp rather than appearance alone.
- Free functional muscle transfer: transferring an entire muscle with its vessels and motor nerve to restore a lost movement in long-standing paralysis or major muscle loss.
- Nerve repair and grafting under magnification: the foundation of much of peripheral nerve surgery.
An important principle: reconstruction is functional before it is cosmetic
The goal of these procedures is to restore lost function — pinch, grasp, elbow movement, or living tissue coverage of exposed bone or tendon — not appearance alone. Planning therefore always balances the expected functional gain against the cost to the donor site, and this balance is discussed frankly before any decision.
Recovery follows the biology of each tissue
A wound heals within weeks, but function follows a slower course: bone needs longer, tendon rehabilitation extends over months, nerves regenerate slowly, and a transferred muscle does not move immediately after surgery — it becomes active only months later, once reinnervation reaches it. Secondary refinement procedures may be needed in some cases, and the expected course is explained for each patient before any decision.
Risks specific to microsurgery
In addition to general surgical risks, specific risks include thrombosis of the connected artery or vein, circulation compromise that may require urgent return to the operating room, partial or complete loss of the transferred tissue, and donor-site changes. These risks are discussed clearly for each case.
Emergencies
Complete or partial amputation, and loss of circulation in a limb or digit, are emergencies requiring immediate attendance at an emergency department; time is critical to any chance of salvage, and these situations are not managed through routine booking. Nor does the existence of replantation techniques mean that every amputated part can or should be replanted; that is an individual medical decision based on the injury and the patient.
What is offered routinely, and what is assessed individually
Microsurgery is central to Dr. Khalid Almutairi's training and surgical experience. Complex microsurgical reconstruction is evaluated case by case, and the appropriate pathway and treating facility are determined according to the individual circumstances and facility requirements.
Medical-information notice
This information is general and does not constitute a diagnosis or individual medical advice. It does not replace consultation, discharge instructions, or patient-specific follow-up advice. Urgent medical conditions require emergency services immediately.