MIKROCHIRURGISCHE REPLANTATION AN DER HAND UNTER BERUCKSICHTIGUNG DER SOZIO-OKONOMISCHEN ASPEKTE

Microsurgical replantation operations on the hand have become a matter of routine but what is now important is that treatment should be improved, shortened and made cheaper. In this paper the authors refer to 22 patients who were treated in the period 1975- 76 by replantation surgery because of accidents. It was established that the thumb was involved in more than a third of the patients. In more than a third of the cases a second and third operation was required. The average duration of incapacity for work amounted to 6 months. The average total financial cost per patient was about 21000 German marks. In one third of the patients the degree of work incapacity 2 years after the accident was lower than for patients who had not had replantation surgery. (7 refs.).