Endoscopic plastic surgery

Abstract

The use of minimal access incIsiOns in endoscopic surgery is ideally suited for the aesthetic objectives of plastic surgery. However, the creation of an optical cavity is essential for endoscopic surgery. The absence of naturally occurring optical cavities in the subcutaneous tissue initially limited the applications ofendoscopy in plastic surgery. Over the past decade, plastic surgeons have developed endoscopic techniques that utilize surgically created optical cavities between tissue planes to facilitate visualization and dissection. The most popular applications of endoscopy in plastic surgery have been the forehead lift and augmentation mammaplasty. The use of endoscopy continues to expand into other common procedures of plastic surgery, including midface lift, abdominoplasty, and muscle flap harvest.