Abstract

A plethora of methods have been proposed for coapting microvessels, with the mainstay being hand-suturing under an operating microscope. A broad range of hand-sutured techniques have been described and these are still evolving today. Alongside this, non-suture methods of microvascular anastomosis have gained popularity over recent years with numerous intra- and extravascular approaches being proposed. This section addresses the development of microsurgical suture technique for microvascular anastomosis, and continues to present the array of non-suture methods currently proposed as alternatives to standard suturing. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2007, 2016.