Book excerpt: Since the first successful digit replantation in Japan in 1965, the field of microvascular surgery has rapidly progressed throughout Japan and the world. Experimental and Clinical Reconstructive Microsurgery draws on the experience of a large number of experts in the areas of experimental microsurgery, limb and digit replantation, and composite tissue transplantation. The result is an extensive monograph covering the history and future prospects of microsurgery, essential microsurgical techniques for laboratory research, and the fundamental methods of harvesting tissues and their grafting techniques. Because the field of microsurgery includes a broad range of clinical disciplines, this book is a valuable resource to all orthopedic, traumatic, and plastic surgeons with an interest in microsurgery.