"Thank you so much! Not only did they save my hand, but they also enabled me to return to a normal life!" In the hand and foot microsurgery ward of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, the 64-year-old patient thanked Director Li Liang and his team repeatedly.

This patient was accidentally cut by an electric saw, with only a part of the skin remaining connected to the palm of the right hand, and the thumb almost completely detached. The injury was critical. After being sent to Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, the hand and foot microsurgery team intervened urgently. After a 9-hour high-intensity microsurgery, they successfully anastomosed 32 blood vessels, nerves, and hand tendons, giving the patient hope for the recovery of hand function. "The surgery was very successful, and the patient is recovering well. The right hand is expected to regain more than 90% of its function, which is sufficient for daily life needs," Director Li Liang said with a smile.

The successful implementation of this complex surgery is a concentrated display of the department's diagnostic and treatment technical strength. Since its establishment in July 2023, the hand and foot microsurgery department has taken "precise microsurgery diagnosis and treatment, and reconstruction of hand and foot functions" as its core goal. With proficient microsurgical operation skills and an efficient emergency treatment system, it has gradually become a solid support for the diagnosis and treatment of hand and foot trauma patients in Yantai and the surrounding Jiaodong region. "At present, we have formed unique technical advantages in multiple fields, such as amputated fingers (toes, palms, wrists, arms, feet), ankle and lower leg amputation replantation, hand and foot function reconstruction, vascular nerve tendon repair, hand and foot tumor diagnosis, and deformity correction, especially in high-difficulty micro anastomosis surgeries." Director Li said. 
The anatomical structure of the extremities is extremely complex and intricate. The blood vessels and nerves are as fine as hair strands. Microsurgery is also known as "precise work on the tip of a needle". The technical skills and patience required of the surgeon are extremely high. "Our team requires proficient mastery of precise operation techniques under the microscope. We use 9/0 to 12/0 ultra-fine microsurgical sutures (with diameters smaller than hair strands), which can precisely complete the anastomosis of tiny blood vessels and nerves with a diameter of only 0.1 millimeters. Each blood vessel needs to be evenly sutured with 4 to 6 stitches to ensure smooth blood circulation after the operation." In the aforementioned 64-year-old patient's surgery, the microsurgery team not only completed basic operations such as fracture reduction and fixation, tendon repair, but also anastomosed the fine blood vessels and nerves one by one under a high-power microscope. The surgery lasted from 7 p.m. on Friday to 4 a.m. the next day, and all team members were fully concentrated and precise in their operations. Finally, they successfully reconstructed the blood circulation in the patient's hand. 
The long-term development of the discipline lies in the inheritance of technology and the construction of the talent pipeline. "At present, the department has formed a core diagnostic and treatment team of four members, including middle-level senior physicians and outstanding young postgraduates, forming a reasonable talent pipeline." To continuously improve the technical level of the team, the department has established a strict specialized training mechanism, and through long-term, high-intensity, and systematic specialized training, ensures that every team member can proficiently master the high-precision microscopic operation techniques. At the same time, the team always inherits the spirit of hard work and endurance, fully adapting to the "all-day response, high-intensity combat" working characteristics of microsurgery, and safeguarding the life and health of patients. 
When dealing with various complex and difficult hand and foot trauma cases, the hand and foot microsurgery team of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital always prioritizes the patients. With rich clinical experience and innovative diagnostic and treatment ideas, they overcome difficulties and achieve success. Previously, a worker suffered a longitudinal half-disconnection of the thumb due to being squeezed by a 1.5-ton press machine. The injury was rare and complex, and many hospitals had informed that no repair surgery could be carried out. With the last glimmer of hope, the patient came to Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. After the team received the patient, they immediately organized a case discussion and tailored a personalized surgical plan for him. During the operation, the team carefully examined under a high-power microscope, precisely located the remaining blood vessels, and adopted the rare arterial-venous shunt technique to successfully connect the proximal artery and the distal vein, achieving a successful blood circulation connection in one attempt, allowing the patient's amputated thumb to regain "new life". In addition, the department has successfully treated multiple critical cases such as ankle joint incomplete dislocation and large-area skin avulsion of the foot, all achieving ideal rehabilitation results and earning wide recognition from patients and their families.

Since its establishment over two years ago, the hand and foot microsurgery department of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has steadily improved its diagnostic capabilities and business scale. As of now, it has successfully performed over a thousand hand and foot microsurgery operations. The rapid development of the department not only fills the hospital's academic and professional shortcomings in hand and foot microsurgery but also enables hand and foot trauma patients in Yantai and surrounding areas to enjoy high-quality, efficient, and high-level microsurgery services without having to travel far away, greatly enhancing the regional hand and foot trauma treatment capabilities. 
"Hands and feet carry out the delicate movements and functional activities of the human body, and can be regarded as the 'second face'. Our mission is to use the most precise technology to help patients restore the functions of their hands and feet and return to a normal life. In the future, the hand and foot microsurgery department will continue to deepen the innovation of microsurgery technology, continuously strengthen talent cultivation and discipline construction, further enhance the treatment capabilities for complex and difficult cases, and provide better medical services to bring more patients hope for recovery."