Advantages of endoscopy
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 after effects 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 brow lift, three or more short incisions may be needed. The tiny "eye" of the endoscope's camera allows a surgeon 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 had 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. Be sure to discuss this possibility with your surgeon.
The Brow Lift
The procedure restores drooping brows to a more natural and youthful position and smoothes the horizontal lines and furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired.
What is involved?
An endoscopic forehead lift is performed utilizing a video camera and special micro instruments that are manipulated through 3 or more small incisions. The endoscope helps guide the surgeon, who removes the muscles that produce frown lines, and repositions the eyebrows at a higher level.
In some cases, a combination of endoscopic and open techniques may be used. In either case, the procedure typically takes between one-to-two hours, and is performed in an outpatient surgery center under intravenous sedation or under general anesthesia.
Recovery
Stitches are removed after approximately 7 days and normal activity can be resumed thereafter.
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