Application of endoscopic techniques in aesthetic plastic surgery.

Although plastic surgeons had been slow to incorporate endoscopic techniques into their surgical armamentarium, there has been considerable interest in this field during the last 2 years. The aim of endoscopic brow lifting has been to achieve elevation of the brow through small scalp incisions without the associated nerve damage of the open approach and to accurately address excision of the muscles responsible for frowning. Endoscopic neck lift is a more recently pioneered technique which, although still in developmental stages, appears to provide good results. The technique involves undermining the skin of the neck extending from the chain to the jawline around the ear. Endoscopic facelifting is still very much in the experimental stages. Endoscopic techniques reduce the need for an incision in front of the ears. Using the endoscope, it has become a simple matter to perform a transaxillary breast augmentation using very small axillary incisions and precise placement of the implants. This results in excellent symmetry postoperatively and easy scar concealment. Abdominoplasty is another example of a procedure usually associated with a long incision and some degree of postoperative pain and immobility. Endoscopic abdominoplasty has been devised to provide not only contouring of abdominal fat through liposuction, but correction of the weakened abdominal muscle through a small incision placed just above the suprapubic hairline.