ADIPOFASCIAL FLAP HARVEST USING ENDOSCOPIC ASSISTANCE

Minimally invasive plastic surgery has expanded beyond the original co nfines of aesthetic applications to encompass all our endeavors in an attempt to restrict the size of surgical scars, limit postoperative di scomfort, and hasten recovery of function. This evolution has already delineated methods to raise our workhorse muscle flaps and has negated the risks of laparotomy for various visceral flaps. It is then only a logical progression to use these endoscopic techniques to harvest fas cial flaps so as to avoid the notorious donor site morbidity of the fa sciocutaneous flap, which has certainly hindered the rapid acceptance of these otherwise valuable flaps. Endoscopic-facilitated elevation of a local adipofascial flap is described for which little or no additio nal skin incisions need ever be made.