Endoscopy is a surgical technique that involves the use of an endoscope, a special viewing instrument that allows Dr. Yalamanchi to see images of the body’s internal structures through very small incisions.
Endoscopic surgery has been used for decades in a number of different procedures, including gallbladder removal, tubal ligation, and knee surgery. However, in the world of plastic surgery, endoscopic instruments have recently been introduced. Plastic surgeons believe the technique holds great promise, but further study is needed to establish its effectiveness, especially over the long-term. As important research continues, endoscopy is being used on a limited basis, for both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.
An endoscope consists of two basic parts: a tubular probe fitted with a tiny camera and bright lights, which is inserted through a small incision; and a viewing screen, which magnifies the transmitted images of the body’s internal structures. During surgery, Dr. Yalamanchi watches the screen while moving the tube of the endoscope through the surgical area. It’s important to understand that the endoscope functions as a viewing device only. To perform the surgery, a separate surgical instrument– such as a scalpel, scissors, or forceps — must be inserted through a different point of entry and manipulated within the tissue.
Advantages of an Endoscopic Brow Lift
All surgery carries risks and every incision leaves a scar. However, with endoscopic surgery, your scars are likely to be hidden, much smaller, and some of the aftereffects of surgery may be minimized.
In a typical endoscopic procedure, only a few small incisions, each less than one inch long, are needed to insert the endoscope probe and other instruments. For some procedures, such as breast augmentation, only two incisions may be necessary. For others, such as a forehead lift, three or more short incisions may be needed. The tiny “eye” of the endoscope’s camera allows Dr. Yalamanchi to view the surgical site almost as clearly as if the skin were opened from a long incision.
Because the incisions are shorter with endoscopy, the risk of sensory loss from nerve damage is decreased. Also bleeding, bruising and swelling may be significantly reduced. With the endoscopic approach, you may recover more quickly and return to work earlier than if you has undergone open surgery.
Endoscopic surgery may also allow you to avoid an overnight hospital stay. Many endoscopic procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis, under local anesthesia with sedation. In endoscopic surgery, a probe with a tiny camera transmits images inside the body to a video monitor.
Forehead lift — of all the cosmetic procedures that use endoscopy, forehead lift is the one which plastic surgeons more commonly perform. Instead of the usual ear-to-ear incision, three or more “puncture-type” incisions are made just at the hairline. The endoscope helps guide Dr. Yalamanchi who removes the muscles that produce frown lines, and repositions the eyebrows at a higher level.
Deciding if endoscopic surgery is right for you?
Although, much is still unknown about an endoscopic brow lift, you may want to focus on what is known as you make your decision. Consider the following:
- For decades, South Florida Brow Lifts has been used successfully in orthopedic, urologic, and gynecologic procedures. Improved technology now permits endoscopy to be used by plastic surgeons
- If performed by an experienced, well-trained plastic surgeon, endoscopic procedures may provide the same results as open-method procedures, but with less scarring
- In some cases, endoscopic surgery may require less recovery time than is usually required for open procedures
- Patients who tend to be the best candidates for cosmetic endoscopic procedures are those who don’t have large amounts of loose hanging skin