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Survey: Most hand surgeons prefer microsuturing for nerve repairs
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Most surveyed hand surgeons who perform nerve repairs said they preferred microsuturing, but noted they would also consider using new hand surgery techniques.
“Most surgeons performing nerve repairs prefer suturing as their primary repair technique, but a vast majority is open to utilizing alternate repair techniques, especially those that improve outcomes with a faster and easier approach,” the researchers wrote in their abstract.
Hand surgeons from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Association of Hand Surgery received a survey by mail with questions concerning demographics and attitudes about current and new hand surgery techniques. There were 271 survey participants, of which 68.5% were orthopedic surgeons, 24.4% were plastic surgeons, 51.9% were in private practice and 43.7% were in public or teaching hospitals.
Microsuturing was the preferred current hand surgery method for 80.8% of respondents, followed by nerve connectors secured by sutures, fibrin glue alone and nerve connectors secured with fibrin glue. Most surgeons (94.7%) said they currently use or would try alternate hand surgery techniques. Surgeons who did not currently use alternate hand surgery techniques (47.9%) reported they would use it, but 28.6% said they do not use it because of lack of data and 14.5% said because there are barriers to using them.
“While not able to direct clinical practice guidelines, this study can be used to direct focus and funding of further alternate nerve repair techniques,” the authors wrote in the abstract.
Disclosures: Owusu and Mayeda have no relevant financial disclosures. Isaacs has received consultant and speaker fees from Axogen Inc.
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