Usefulness of microsurgery in the training of the general surgeon

It is a common opinion that general surgery is the first step for whoever a pproaches a surgical discipline, and that whoever practices training in gen eral surgery should learn the rudiments of each surgical branch. The role o f microsurgery in the training of the general surgeon has not been well-est ablished. Clinical applications of microsurgery in general surgery are few and are rarely required, and have been connected strictly to restricted ind ications. However, we think that microsurgery could be very useful to the g eneral surgeon because it allows the execution of experimental research on rats, the only possibility permitted by law. In these studies the microsurg eon can perform many times and in a short time the same surgical operation, thus improving his skill, and easily getting familiarity with surgical ins truments and sutures.