ENDOSCOPICALLY ASSISTED PLASTIC SURGICAL-PROCEDURES IN THE PEDIATRIC-PATIENT

Endoscopically assisted surgery has gained wide popularity in plastic surgery. Its major uses have been in aesthetic procedures. In this art icle we demonstrate the safety and utility of these techniques to a pe diatric population. All patients younger than 20 years who underwent a n endoscopically assisted plastic surgical procedure by one of the aut hors were pooled and their medical records reviewed. Complications wer e determined. For those children having an excision of a forehead mass , the duration of the procedure, length of incision, specimen size, an d length of hospital stay were determined. Additionally, parents of th ese children were contacted by telephone after the excisions to determ ine satisfaction with the procedures. Sixteen patients' records were r eviewed. Patients' ages ranged from 6 months to 15 years (mean, 5.8 ye ars). The procedures performed included removal of forehead mass (n = 9), placement of tissue expanders (n = 5), excision of gynecomastia (n = 1), and malar soft tissue elevation (n = 1). All procedures were co mpleted with endoscopic assistance. One procedure had to be converted to an open technique. No hematomas were observed. For forehead mass ex cisions, the average duration of the procedure was 46.9 min. Incision length was 1.1 cm, and specimen volume was 0.5 cm(3). Parent satisfact ion with the endoscopic procedures was high, with 100% responding favo rably. No significant complications were observed. A?any of the proced ures were performed as outpatients. Parental acceptance of and satisfa ction with the endoscopic techniques was high. Our experience supports the use of endoscopic techniques in the pediatric plastic surgical pa tient.