Microsurgery Training Courses

Overview

Our microsurgery training courses are appropriate for any surgeon but microsurgery is commonly utilized in the following specialties: plastic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, urology, gynecology, ENT, orthopedic and hand surgery, veterinary medicine, and transplantation immunology. The courses are directed to trainees and researchers, who seek practical microsurgery training at either a basic or advanced level. Specialty oriented courses are also available.

Microsurgery courses are held on a weekly basis throughout the year. The five day course runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the discretion of the Department of Plastic Surgery. The microsurgery laboratory accommodates a maximum of two trainees at a time. The courses use video materials and direct one-on-one teaching. All surgical procedures are performed on experimental rats. All instruments, suture material, and microscopes used are of the highest standards available. Each trainee will have access to a Zeiss or Leica surgical microscope and one-on-one instruction.

Courses

Basic microsurgery course:

The basic course will introduce the use of a surgical microscope, micro-instruments and micro-suture and live animal models.

Course objectives

Participants will be trained in vessel dissection, varying microsurgical techniques, arterial and venous end-to-end and end-to side anastomoses, and preparation and placement of vascular grafts.

Techniques:

Arterial Anastomoses: End-to-End. End-to-Side. Arterial Graft. Venous Anastomoses: End-to-End. End-to-Side. Venous Graft. Combination: Arterial and Venous Bypasses. A-V Shunts.

Advanced microsurgery course:

Course objectives:

As a result of attendance, the participants will be able to raise, release and revascularize cutaneous, muscular and composite free tissue transfers; practice limb replantation.

Techniques:

Arterial Anastomoses: End-in-End (sleeve). Arterial Bypass. Venous Bypass. A-V Shunts. Free Tissue Transfer: Cutaneous Flap. Muscle Flap. Rat Hind Limb Replantation.

Supermicrosurgery course

The hands-on advanced/supermicrosurgery training course is specifically designed for the applicants who seek an invaluable learning experience with profound enhancement of supermicrosurgical skills.

Course objectives:

By attending this course, participants will promote their microsurgical skills to an ultimate higher level of supermicrosurgery. Then they will be capable of successfully handling the procedures compromising the vessels with approximately 0.5 mm diameter and less.

Techniques:

• End-to-end anastomosis of the Superficial Inferior Epigastric Artery (SIEA) and Vein (SIEV).
• Interpositional SIEV graft between SIEA.
• End-to-side anastomosis of the SIEA to SIEV (AV fistula).
• SIEA bypass.
• Groin cutaneous free tissue flap using the epigastric vessels as the pedicle.
• Lymphatic vessels anastomoses.

Specialty-oriented microsurgery course:

This course can be tailored for individual participants with other structures of interest, such as nerves, fallopian tubes, and vas deferens. After 3 days of acquiring microsurgical skills by performing end-to-end anastomoses, trainees will then be able to practice their requested model of interest.

Course objectives:

As a result of attending this course, participants will be able to become familiar with microsurgical techniques related to the fields of their particular specialty.

Specialties and Techniques:

Urology: 

• Vasovasostomy/Vasoepididymostomy.

Neurosurgery: 

• Epineural End-to-End Nerve Anastomosis Fascicular End-to-End Suturing End-to-Side Nerve Repair Conventional Nerve Grafting Vascularized Nerve Grafting Arterial and Venous anastomosis in the head and neck region on request.

OB/GYN: 

• Fallopian Tube Anastomosis.

ENT: 

• Dissection and Anastomosis of nerves and vessels in the head and neck on request.

Advanced course in experimental models:

This is a novel approach to introduce sophisticated experimental models as a part of microsurgical and research training. The participants of this course will have individual tutorials and presentations on requested experimental models. The validity of models for experimental design as well as pitfalls and success prerequisites will be discussed with participants on daily basis.

Available experimental models:

• Rat Hind-Limb Replantation.
• Rat Hind-Limb Transplantation.
• Rat Cremaster Muscle Flap Preparation.
• Laryngeal Transplantation.
• Sciatic Nerve Cooptation.
• Free Tissue Transfer.

Faculty

Course Director

Bahar Bassiri Gharb, MD, PhD
Staff Plastic Surgeon
Director of Research
Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute
Email: bassirb@ccf.org

Course Instructors

Mazen Al-Malak, MD
Microsurgery Research Fellow
Department of Plastic Surgery

Filippo Perozzo, MD
Microsurgery Research Fellow
Department of Plastic Surgery

Registration

Make checks payable in US dollars to: The Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation

Mail to:
The Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation
P.O. Box 931653
Cleveland, Ohio 44193-1082, USA

Cancellation policy

If you are unable to attend or need to cancel the course, please notify the CME office immediately at 216-448-0777. A full refund will be issued if you inform the CCF two weeks prior to the course date. If you cancel after this time, a $100 cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund. Written notification of your cancellation is required in order to process your refund.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Center for Continuing Education fully intends to comply with the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If you need assistance, please notify microsurgerycourse@ccf.org or 216.445.8115 at least two weeks prior to the activity.

Gallery

Microsurgery trainees

The trainees are presented with a certificate of attendance for the courses.

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Contact Us

For further information about the Microsurgery Courses, call the following numbers:

Local: 216.445.8115 or 216.445.8116
Toll Free: 1.800.223.2273 ext. 58115 or 58116

Email: microsurgerycourse@ccf.org

Hotels

For those needing overnight accommodations, there are several hotels in the vicinity:

Cleveland Clinic InterContinental Suite Hotel
9801 Carnegie Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio 44106
216.707.4100

The Tudor Arms Hotel
10660 Carnegie Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio
216.455.1260

Marriott Key Center
127 Public Square | Cleveland, Ohio
216.696.9200

Renaissance Cleveland Hotel
24 Public Square | Cleveland, Ohio
216.696.5600

Hampton Inn
1460 E. 9th Street | Cleveland, Ohio
216.241.6600

Holiday Inn Lakeside City Center
1111 Lakeside Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio
216.241.5100

Sheraton City Centre
777 St. Clair Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio
216.771.7600