Endoscopic technique for harvesting the intercostal nerve as a nerve graft: A feasibility preliminary study in cadavers

Endoscopic surgical procedures in plastic surgery have been applied in nume rous aesthetic and reconstructive surgical techniques. The use of the endos copic video-assisted technique in peripheral nerve surgery is one of the mo st recent advances in reconstructive surgery. In this preliminary report, t he seventh intercostal nerve, in fresh human cadavers, was harvested with t he aid of endoscopy through a single 2-cm transverse incision. The anatomy of the intercostal nerve and the endoscopic surgical technique are describe d in this report. Multiple intercostal nerve grafts of adequate size, numbe r, and length could be harvested, with less donor site morbidity, and used for future reconstruction of the injured peripheral nerve. The advantages o f using an endoscopic technique to harvest the inter-costal nerve include a magnified, clear, and illuminated visualization; a better remote access in cision site; and an atraumatic technique, which may be proven particularly applicable in clinical procedures in patients who are prone to hypertrophic scars such as in women and children.