The very first endoscopic surgery took place in the 1980s when surgeons used the minimally invasive technique to remove a gallbladder. Endoscopes had been used prior to this successful surgery, particularly in liposuctions where endoscopes were used to find blood vessels that were damaged during the procedure. Since then, endoscopic surgeries have spread across medical fields and are particularly useful in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Not every surgeon uses the endoscopic technique, but Dr. Edward Buckingham, a facial plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic forehead surgeries and mid-face lifts. Discover the benefits to an endoscopic cosmetic surgery at Buckingham Center.
Better View of the Underlying Structure
During an endoscopic forehead surgery or mid-face lift, the endoscope is inserted below the skin. The camera within the endoscope sends the video footage to a screen the surgeon watches while performing the surgery. By seeing exactly what the tissue and muscle look like, the surgeon is able to complete the surgery through the small opening. Dr. Buckingham has taken this to the next level by utilizing endoscopic instruments, but by now knowing the anatomy so well, he rarely if ever needs to utilize an endoscope any longer.
Less Trauma
The size of an endoscope is much tinier than a surgeon’s fingers. Standard endoscopes are just 2 or 3 millimeters in diameter. As a result, the trauma to the skin and tissue is far less than when a surgeon uses fingers and surgical tools to lift the skin from the underlying tissue and make enough space to view and correct muscle, tissue, and fat layers.
Smaller Incisions
Given the size of a standard endoscope, the incisions used in endoscopic browlifts and facelifts are much smaller than with traditional surgeries. In a traditional browlift, the incision is made from one ear to the other, but an endoscopic brow surgery requires a few small incisions within the hairline. The same incisions can be used in an endoscopic midface lift. The size and location of these incisions make any resulting scars impossible for others to notice.
Shorter Healing Times
With less trauma and smaller incisions, your recovery from an endoscopic forehead surgery or mid-face lift is much faster. Most patients find bruises disappear within a week. Any stitches are removed at the end of a week, and at that point, you should be ready to return to work and social activities.
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Buckingham to learn more about the benefits of endoscopic surgeries. View endoscopic surgery before and after pictures to see the noticeable differences in each patient who chose this less-invasive procedure. Buckingham Center for Facial Plastic Surgery can be reached at (512) 401-2500.