Surgical opportunism is the exploitation of circumstances at the time of surgery which will maximize the ultimate functional result. This may be an imaginative original application of surgery and regularly demands a degree of lateral thinking to visualize the opportunity. It involves particularly the careful appraisal of all damaged or amputated tissues and assessment as to their potential usefulness. Microvascular anastomosis greatly broadens the scope of opportunism in emergency hand surgery.

Amputation, Traumatic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A vascularised periosteal flap: anatomical study.

Twenty-seven anatomical studies were done to elucidate the periosteal blood supply on the lateral surface of the shaft of the tibia. The dissection of a vascularised periosteal flap is described. The applications of this flap are discussed in the light of previous clinical and experimental reports on periosteal flaps and a successful clinical case is detailed. This flap has application for electively treating bony non union. It may also be used as a free flap in an acute trauma situation involving bone loss.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Revascularization of the testis following inadvertent division of the testicular vessels during hernia repair.

This case report describes the revascularization of the testis in a 21-year-old man after his testicular vessels were inadvertently divided during primary repair of an inguinal hernia. The circumstances in which this occurred and the possible complications are discussed and the need to attempt repair of the divided vessels in such cases is emphasized.

Adult↗