ENDOSCOPIC TECHNIQUE FOR FREE-FLAP HARVESTING

Endoscopic surgery has been shown to reduce the morbidity rate for a g rowing number of surgical procedures, including tissue harvest for mic rovascular reconstruction. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are being applied experimentally and clinically in the harvest of a variet y of tissues, including muscles, nerves, fascia, veins, and intra-abdo minal tissues. Microvascular surgery leads to the paradoxical situatio n in which the major technical challenge and source of potential morbi dity in a reconstructive procedure may not involve the region of the d efect, but rather the distant site from which tissue is being harveste d for transfer. With increased experience and instrumentation developm ent, it is possible that minimally invasive tissue harvest will become the future standard.