Department of Surgery

Research and Microsurgery Training Laboratory
Multidisciplinary Research Building #3, Room 221

The University of Kentucky Plastic Surgery research laboratory interests are currently in the areas of wound healing including burns, breast cancer etiology, implant biofilms, tendon repair and microvascular surgery. The Division operates two basic research laboratories which also house our microsurgery-teaching laboratory. Our research associate assists all investigators (faculty and residents) with grant, IRB and IACUC submissions, in addition to overseeing ongoing clinical and animal projects, and administration of research accounts. We utilize the University of Kentucky’s Clinic Research-DOC for research nurses and coordination of our sponsored clinical trials.

Basic Microsurgery Course
The technology of microscope-directed surgery has presented a seemingly limitless new frontier in medicine, bounded only by one's imagination.The transfer or repair of nerves, vessels, composite tissue parts; the study of growth, healing, transplantation, fertility, physiology; the response of microsutures to trauma or pharmacologic agents; the innovative use of prosthetic material; and laser instrumentation represent a portion of the spectrum encompassed by microsurgery.

A prerequisite to investigative or clinical microsurgery is experience with the use of the microscope and microsurgical instrumentation. The purpose of this course is to provide a core framework for learning microsurgical technique, and serves as the open door for one's microsurgical explorations.

The basic microsurgery training course is offered throughout the year, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and is open to any resident, surgeon, nurse, medical student, or technician. Schedules can be arranged according to need. Individuals who successfully complete the microsurgical course will receive a certificate of training.

Each stage of the course is mastered through a multifaceted approach: a reading assignment, an audiovisual taped lecture, and a rodent practicum, directed by the instructor. Each three-hour session consists of the following topics:

Day 1: Basic Microsurgical Techniques
Day 2: Femoral Artery End-to End Anastomoses
Day 3: Femoral Vein End-to-End Anastomoses
Day 4: End-to-Side Anastomoses
Day 5: Advanced Microsurgical Methods
Practical Exam-Artery and Vein End-to-End Anastomoses in less than 2 hours

The course faculty are:
Daniel H. Stewart, MD, Associate Professor and Director, Microsurgery Laboratory
Brian D. Rinker, MD, Assistant Professor
Henry C. Vasconez, MD, Professor and Chief of Plastic Surgery
Lesley Wong, MD, Associate Professor

The course fee of $1500 is required at the time of scheduling.The registration fee is refundable, less a $200 service charge, if a written request is received two weeks before beginning the course. For more information contact Betsy Fink at betsy.fink@uky.edu.