The Miracles of Microsurgery

The concept of microsurgery is fairly new in the history of surgery. Microsurgery is a technique that allows the surgeon to repair one millimeter blood vessels and nerves using an operating room microscope and suture finer than the human hair. In the mid-1960s, Gregory Buncke’s father, Harry Buncke, M.D., recognized that, with the right tools, technique and equipment, he could replant amputated fingers, make a thumb from the big toe or reconstruct post traumatic or large defects. However, those tools and techniques did not exist at that time. Starting nearly from scratch, Buncke began designing and creating microsurgical instruments and microsurgical suture. Most of his early work was done at his home in San Francisco. He created a research surgical suite in his garage, performing rabbit ear replantation and toe to thumb transplants in the Rhesus monkey. Buncke was eventually given the title, “father of microsurgery,” for his commitment to educating thousands of surgeons.

Speaker: Greg Buncke, Buncke Medical Clinic