Endoscopic plastic surgery techniques have involved aesthetic procedures such as face lift, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, and placement of tissue expander. Recently endoscopic harvest of the donor tissue for free flap transfer has been
applied in
the omentum, latissimus dorsi muscle and rectus abdominis muscle.
10 patients who had a soft tissue defect in the foot or in the lower leg were treated with free muscle transfer after endoscopic dissection of the latissimus dorsi muscle from December 1994 to October 1995. 9 patients were male and 1 patient was
female.
A 5~6cm axillary incision is made, allowing direct identification of the thoracodorsal vascular pedicle. The latissimus dorsi muscle is dissected posteriorly until the limits of open dissection are reached, and then the dissection if continued
under
endoscopic visualization. The largest harvested muscle was 15×25cm in size. We followed up from 6 to 15 months.
We believe that plastic surgeons take advantage of this technique to obtain good and safe results with smaller scars and reduce postoperative donor site morbidity such as pain and wound healing problems. In conclusion, this procedure may prove
particularly useful in women, children, and those who are prone to hypertrophic scars.
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