Precision of suture placement with microscope‐ and loupe‐assisted anastomoses

Twenty‐eight anastomoses involving seven surgeons were done on 2 mm Gortex vascular prostheses to test the effect of magnification on the precision of suture placement. One‐half were done with 3.5‐4 × prism loupe magnification and the other one‐half with 8‐30 × microscope magnification. The variability of suture placement (defined here as precision) was measured in a blinded fashion. The mean suture puncture to prosthesis edge measurement for the microscope‐assisted group was ∼ 0.03 mm closer to the edge. The variability from the mean for the microscope‐assisted group was ∼ 0.01 mm less than that for the loupe‐assisted group. This difference was statistically significant at a P value of 0.0123. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss Inc.