Endoscopic Set-Up and Troubleshooting

Abstract

Endoscopic aesthetic surgery has rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting and technologically driven components of plastic surgery. The ability to perform complete forehead-lifts and face-lifts without significant scarring is a dramatic breakthrough because it reduces patient morbidity and thus expands patient acceptance. There can be little doubt as to the ultimate integration of endoscopic techniques in plastic surgery. However, endoscopic surgery is equipment dependent, comparable in many ways to reconstructive microsurgery with its operating microscope. The endoscope offers a brightly illuminated, enlarged image on a remote 2-D video monitor, which requires development of specific eye-hand coordination. Further, the equipment can be frustrating to use as the image may become “foggy” and unreliable. Thus, the surgeon must become proficient with every aspect of the equipment.